The City of Mammals
by SlyFish1909
Summary: The City of Zootopia is a melting pot of different races and cultures that has stood for centuries, but it survives on a very delicate balance. Judy Hopps is an even more exceptional bunny than we were told. And Nick Wilde had a much more violent past. This is a retelling of the movie, with more dangerous villains… and more dangerous heroes. Rated M for violence and language.
1. Chapter 1 - The Country Doe

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

"Hello!" – normal speech

" _Italic on the whole sentence."_ – thoughts

 _Italic on individual words –_ emphasis

* * *

 **The Country Doe**

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"So, which one of you little ones can tell me about the origins of Zootopia?"

There was a general grumbling of discontent around the classroom as the History teacher asked his question. The consensus seemed to be that, as most of them were currently at (or approaching) the distinctively mature age of 9, it was a terrible offense to be referred to by the term 'little'.

The old beaver suppressed a smirk. He allowed his students a couple seconds of indignation, not once betraying his inner amusement, before asking again. "Anyone?"

A small grey paw raised slowly amongst the sea of furry bodies, which came mostly in other shades of grey, along with browns and beiges. Its owner's identity did not surprise the teacher, but the slight hesitation in the movement _was_ somewhat uncommon for her. In any case, he recognized the young bunny instantly. Not an easy thing, as 9 out of 10 students in the class… nay, all of Bunnyburrow, was a rabbit or hare of some kind. Their faces tended to blur together even to other leporine teachers.

"Yes, Judy?" the beaver kindly prompted the kit.

Now that every other 'little' face in class was turned to her, the bunny abandoned whatever reluctance had been gripping her earlier. She stood straight up on her chair, all one-and-a-half foot of her, with her small mouth curved into a cheerful smile, long ears standing upright and purple eyes sparkling with determination.

"The City of Zootopia was created 713 years ago, sir." she began, childish voice upbeat and crystal clear. "When all the different mammals came together to protect themselves from the other Tribes. It was built as a symbol of their new friendship and common goals, a place where the many species could live and work together. Now it is the largest mammal settlement in the world, and a place where anyone can become anything they want." she finished with a nod of utter conviction.

 _"Ah"_ , the teacher thought with an internal sigh, _"to be this young and innocent again."_

Before he could praise the bunny for her eloquent, if over simplistic answer, he heard a muffled snort and a whisper from the back of the class. "Know-it-all." a snide voice said.

Unfortunately it was too low for the beaver to identify the speaker, and when almost every other one of his young charges joined in on the snickering, either out of childish malice or mostly to go along with the crowd, any hope of assigning a just punishment went out of the window.

"NO calling names in this classroom! You should be ashamed of yourselves, children!" he scolded the room in his stricter voice. The young ones subsided and many even affected an apologetic face, but it was doubtful that any would take the words to heart from just one telling-off.

Through it all young Judy Hopps remained ramrod-backed, her gaze fixed stubbornly on the dusty blackboard. Only an almost imperceptible drop of her ears and a twitch of her pink nose betrayed her discomfort. Now the beaver understood why she had been reluctant to answer the question, and he really should have known better. He was also sure that she could tell him exactly who had said those mean words in the first place, what with a bunny's exceptional hearing, but calling her on it would accomplish nothing but putting the poor thing even more on the spot.

He gave another internal sigh while remembering other common aspects of youth, this one far less nostalgic.

"That was an excellent answer, Judy. You can sit back now." he told her firmly. His words and tone seemed to at least comfort the bunny a tiny bit, as she gave him a little smile while sitting back down primly. He addressed the class. "Now, let me elaborate a tad more. Though Predator-Prey relationships at the time were a far sight from our more… primal past, Zootopia was founded and first inhabited only by _Prey_ mammals. There were still many Predator species that looked down on Prey, and Prey species still held great fear of their fellow mammals."

A very justified fear, as it were. They would learn more about it when they were a bit older.

"But necessity is the mother of all changes. The reptiles were a threat to _all_ mammals, and our ancestors soon came to realize that." he took a moment to drink a little water, soothing his old throat. "Less than a century after Zootopia's foundation, the Predator species started to be accepted into the mammal alliance. Just a select few at first, mostly those who were also Prey themselves. But more came, and slowly we learned how to survive together, work together, and live together. Today, almost all mammals live in harmony. We kept the lessons we learned long ago, even after we defeated the reptile tribes. And that's a very good thing, children."

"But Mr. Rivers," a leveret boy spoke from the back. He was very small for his age, and could easily be mistaken for a rabbit, "my momma told me not to be alone with any Predators larger than me. They can be mean." then he lowered his voice to almost a whisper, and the old teacher had to strain himself to hear. " _Especially_ foxes." There were mutters of agreement by many of the others. The teacher had no doubt many 'mommas' and 'papas' in their town held similar opinions.

He might not have been a fox, but the only Predator student in this particular class, a young leopard seated at the front row, slumped sadly at his classmate's words, as well as the murmurs that followed.

The teacher was about to speak to the cub, but was beaten to the punch when a grey paw came to rest on the black-dotted arm. He watched as young Ms. Hopps squeezed the boy's arm and gave him an encouraging, bright smile. He grinned back timidly, straightened a little, and the beaver was sure there was a blush beneath that fur. The cub had been one of those laughing at Judy just a minute ago, and he was sure she knew that.

 _'Hum… that is one special bunny, right there_.' the beaver thought to himself.

He crossed his arms at his back and scolded the class again, though a little more gently this time. They could hardly be blamed for the prejudices of their parents, after all. "Now children, being 'mean' has nothing to do with being a Predator or Prey. I think many of you have brothers and sisters who have been 'mean' to you in the past. Or who _you_ have done bad things to, humm?" he gave then a piercing gaze and saw many a fidget. "Should you be afraid of rabbits and hares, then? No, all mammals can be good, and all mammals can be bad. It's up to us to decide which one we want to be."

Before he could continue, the loud shrill of the bell rang across the entire school. It was time for the children to stretch their limbs and have a snack. The beaver gave a couple of surprised blinks, having completely lost track of time. But he recovered quickly.

"All right, young'uns. I want all of you to read chapter 4 of your History book, and do the exercises. We will have questions and answers next week." a lot of little groans greeted him at that, and he smiled. "You can go now. Shoo."

As he vaguely registered the shuffle of little feet in the background, the beaver instead focused on gathering his papers inside his suitcase and tiding up the desk and blackboard for the next teacher. That task done, he could finally leave for a well-deserved cup of hot coffee in the staff room. He could use the breather, as soon he would have another rambunctious bunch of preteens to take care of.

But his plans were derailed as he turned to the door. There, standing in front of his desk, was a grey bunny. The beaver almost walked over her. "By the Great Pond! Almost ran you over, Judy. How can I help you, dear?"

She gave him an adorably apologetic smile. He expected she would ask him about the lesson or about something she learned in her books, as she was a very curious and smart bunny and had the best grades of her year to prove it, but what came out of that little mouth surprised him.

"I wanted to thank you, sir." she gave a bow, ears flopping down her back. "For telling them off for thinking bad things about Tommy. Sometimes the others are all jumpy around him, and it makes him sad. He's a nice kitty and doesn't deserve it."

The beaver scratched his snout while he considered Judy. He noticed she made no mention of his scolding the students for mocking her, which included the 'nice kitty' himself.

"Do not mention it, dear. It's my job to guide you young'uns. We must all live together now, and we can't do that by being strangers."

Of course, he also knew stereotypes and generalizations were a natural mechanism of animal survival. And prejudice sometimes had a legitimate reason for existing, even if only in the broadest of terms. But his charges were just children and it was better to make them open-minded, rather than cautious to the point of intolerance.

Ms. Hopps perked right up, though. "I know, right!" in a flash, she hopped up to his desk and was now almost nose-to-nose with him. That and her loud exclamation were more than enough to startle the old teacher. "It's so infuriating when everyone becomes all nervous and sketchy. Daddy has a supplier who is a badger and his family came over for lunch once and it was _horrible_! Everyone was so quiet and mom wouldn't let us in the dining room but I saw it all from the door and they had a daughter my age and she looked so bored and sad with no one to play with!"

She looked like she was getting on a roll, and the teacher found himself too bemused by the fire in the bunny's eyes to interrupt her.

"And I _know_ some Predators are nasty. Like Gideon and Travis, those jer… ah, I mean…" she caught herself and coughed a little to hide the slip. "Those _boys!_ But half my brothers and sisters need a good scrunching most of the time like you said and it's just so _unfair_ , you know?"

The beaver finally managed to recompose himself. Checking the strap on his suitcase just to avoid grinning at the indignant little face before him, he tried to answer her. "I understand how you feel, Judy. But the only thing we can do is try to show others the error of their ways. I think we will all get there, eventually, but it will take much effort and patience."

The grey-furred kit deflated, nose twitching. "Yeah, I guess…" then she perked right back. He found it far too amusing just how fast her mood could change. "That's why I _love_ reading about Zootopia! It just sounds so amazing! A place where all mammals are equals and happy and free to do anything! I want _so much_ to see it! But mom and dad are always too busy at the farm to take us there and they say I can't go by myself because I'm _too young_." she spoke the two words as if they were bad names.

He suppressed the urge to snort. It was amazing how rose-tinted most books presented Zootopia to be, even ones meant for adults. As if all the common problems that plagued smaller settlements would not be proportionally larger in a mega-city. But that was propaganda for you.

"Well Judy, Zootopia has its own share of difficulties, I assure you. But I guess that's what the ZPD is there for." he chuckled.

The bunny's ears trembled and she blinked several times very quickly. "ZPD?" she asked with a cute tilt of her head.

"Ah, sorry. I mean the Zootopia Police Department. Humm, you know how Sheriff Augustine and her deputies keep order in town, yes?" she nodded, a little uncertainly. "Well, the ZPD is like that, just much, muuuuch larger. They serve and protect all mammals of Zootopia and make sure they all obey the law and live in peace."

For some reason, that seemed to get the bunny very excited. "Really? Mom told me the deputies are the ones who take down the bad guys, but I never see them doing anything important." a less-than-complimentary description, but true enough for such a peaceful rural town like Bunnyburrow, he supposed. "Are the deputies of Zootopia really that awesome?"

The beaver smiled. "They are called 'officers' up there, Judy. Or 'cops', in the popular term. And yes, I dare say they see much more action than our own agents of the law."

The bunny was starting to vibrate with interest. "That's… _amazing…_ " she breathed out, voice almost quivering.

As much as the beaver felt joy in seeing such a bright child, he really needed that coffee. "Now, I'm sure you must be hungry and eager to play with your friends. You should get to it or you'll miss the entire break."

She opened her mouth to speak but then stopped herself. A focused look appeared on her face for a couple of seconds before she seemed to come to some kind of decision and smiled at him. "Yes, Mr. Rivers! Have a very nice day, sir!"

"You too, dear." he patted her head. The bunny sprung down from the desk and skipped out of the room with an energy that made his rusty bones ache just by looking at it. Children like Ms. Hopps were what made this job so rewarding for the beaver. He followed his student at a much more sedated pace, closing the door to the classroom on his way out. And that distraction made him miss the fact the bunny did not go towards the cafeteria or playground, but to the opposite direction instead. Down where the school library was located.

She could not waste any time. She needed to learn more about the ZPD!

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0000000

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 **15 years later**

The icy rain pelted her mud-matted fur, but she barely felt it. The ground was rough and there was a sharp little rock digging at her back, but she did not care. The sun was almost gone for the day, but the late hour was the last thing on her mind. All she could think of as she desperately gasped for breath was how an animal could be in more pain than ever before, and physically insensitive at the same time.

Now _that_ was a terrible mystery.

It seemed like an eternity before her blurred vision cleared enough for her to recognize her surroundings, and the bleak landscape of the Academy's Proving Grounds greeted her eyes. That was the 'affectionate' nickname given to the large training complex formed by a series of distinct fitness courses, designed to simulate the terrains and environmental hazards of the many districts of Zootopia. Those courses were all circled by a running track a quarter-mile long.

A track Judy Hopps had been running around non-stop for the last two hours.

She could finally take deep breaths now, and her head no longer felt as if it would crack in two. She might just survive this.

"Still lying to yourself, yokel?" a sarcastic voice called from somewhere close.

The bunny closed her eyes and gritted her teeth so hard, she could hear it. _"I DON'T need this right now."_

Her reviled instructor did not seem to care, though. "The track isn't going to become shorter just because you wish it, fluffbutt." she felt, more than heard, the heavy feet of the polar bear approaching her, and opened her eyes to see the white fur and smirking visage of the Drill Sergeant high above her head. It was a testament to how spent she was that her usually sharp ears had not picked up on the she-bear's presence before. Or perhaps it was the mud inside her ear canals, who knew? The giant (to her) artic mammal was wearing only a light uniform, but it was more than enough for an someone completely adapted to the water and cold. As it was, the umbrella over her head was just meant to mock the country rabbit.

Still, she would not give her the satisfaction of taking the bait. Doing her best to get her breathing under control, forcing herself to ignore the fire in her lungs, Judy spoke. "Sorry, ma'am. Just doing some evening exercise." she was proud of how firm her voice was.

The sergeant was not. "You know, Hopps? When you spend even the weekends working yourself to the ground and you _still_ can't keep up with your fellow cadets, it really raises the question of just what you're still doing here."

Judy clenched her paws tightly. "I'm here to become a police officer, ma'am."

The bear raised a brow. "That so? Interesting, because up until now you have mostly been a poor joke. In all fairness, though, the conversations at staff meetings have been a hair more entertaining these last weeks. I suppose we have you to thank for that."

The bunny had to use every bit of her will to keep her pink nose from twitching. "I'm _going_ to become a police officer, ma'am." she repeated.

The bear clucked her tongue disapprovingly and looked ready to deliver another scathing remark, when she suddenly paused. Instead, she looked intently at Judy's eyes. The fixed, unreadable stare stretched on for so long, the bunny was starting to become genuinely worried.

And then, those eyes that had always looked at her with nothing but skepticism, disdain and disappointment, got softer. Judy could not tell exactly what it was, but it looked like pity.

She _hated_ it.

"Look… Hopps…" her voice as well was almost kind, and she hated that, too. "I don't know what you were trying to prove by applying to the force, but you already did it, all right? A rabbit never came so far before. You survived two months of one of the toughest training regimes in the world. You aced all your theory tests and you never flinched, even when I put you on the sparring ring with a rhino." she crouched next to the still prone rabbit, and even went as far as covering her with the umbrella. "You can turn back right now, and no one could think any less of you."

Judy found it hard to speak past the lump in her throat. This unprecedented shift in her instructor, who never had a kind word for the little rabbit in all her time at the Academy, was rising all kinds of conflicting emotions inside her. She felt like crying, and _sweet carrots_ she was going to kill herself if she started crying right now.

She eventually managed to ground out. "I can't give up now." and despite all her effort, her voice was starting to break.

The sergeant did not pounce on that glaring sign of weakness, though. She kept speaking in that same alien tone of almost-kindness. "This has nothing to do with your drive, Hopps, or your courage. You've proven both beyond any doubt. It's just… certain occupations are not _meant_ for some mammals, you know? And there's no shame in that! We all contribute to society in our own ways, and every one of those ways are equally important."

A large white paw came over to her face, but Judy was too exhausted to even flinch. With a gentleness that she would never expect from the though-as-nails polar bear, the sergeant cleaned the mud from the rabbit's face. Her eyes were stinging now, and it definitely was not from the rain.

"Just play to your strengths, Hopps." she told her after she was done. "Do what comes naturally. It's the best way to live."

Judy Hopps did not know what to say, and that was a very rare occurrence for her. The polar bear just waited with a patient look, as if willing to give her all the time in the world. All the emotions she had kept bottled up since entering the Academy, her frustration, her anger, her sadness, it all threatened to overwhelm her now. She opened her mouth to speak, and she honestly had no idea what was going to come out of it.

But just before she could say something she would regret, the scars on her left cheek burned.

It was a tiny thing. Almost imperceptible, really. The wounds Gideon Grey gave her had healed many long years ago, and the fur had grown back so it was impossible to see the little marks on her flesh. She was sure the twinges they gave her from time to time were purely psychological in nature.

But she still felt it.

The deluge of doubt and depressing thoughts ebbed away from her like the last chill of the night swept away by a warm summer breeze. She no longer felt like crying. Even her soreness and exhaustion lessened. Under the surprised gaze of the drill sergeant, the bunny got herself onto a sitting position, mudded grey ears straight up and purple eyes determined.

"We can be anything we want." her voice was soft, but steady. She was looking at her own dirty and calloused pawns.

"Say that again, Hopps?"

"Mammals can be whatever they choose to be, ma'am." she repeated, voice stronger now. Her paws closed into fists, and she looked the she-bear straight in the eyes. "And I'm going to prove it. To you… and to them."

The instructor blinked slowly at her once, twice. Then she got back up to her feet and looked down on the rabbit, the gentle-slash-pitying look from before replaced by her usual stony expression.

"Well, in that case you should try to be a fairy, bumpkin. Because you sure as hell ain't becoming a cop unless you really step up your game."

Despite the harsh words, Judy could swear there was something different between them now. The derision that she always got from the sergeant was gone.

She felt as if she had passed some kind of test.

"I will improve, ma'am." she told her with conviction, getting back up to her feet. She only wobbled a little.

"Then get to it, Hopps! You still have a good fifteen minutes of daylight. You gonna waste it?" she pointed a claw back to the track.

"No ma'am!" she yelled, and began running again. She heard the piercing shrill of the sergeant's whistle, and put even more speed to it. Her legs screamed at her, her lungs went right back to burning, and even the tip of her little rabbit tail hurt. The mud had soaked down to the very roots of her fur and it would be a nightmare to clean out. But none of that mattered, because Judy Hopps was a bunny on a mission.

She _was_ going to prove the sergeant wrong. And Gideon Grey, and all of the others. But despite that conviction, something else the polar bear had said stuck to her.

 _"Play to my strengths, huh? Yeah, I can do that."_

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0000000

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"Are you _trying_ to kill that rabbit, Ursula?"

The voice of her colleague snapped the polar bear from watching her most unique trainee speed up along the muddy track. She spared the brown-furred, middle-aged wolf a glance.

"You're a nosy son of a whore, you know that?" she told him flatly. Both of them kept their voices low, mindful of a rabbit's superb hearing.

Her answer was a grinning muzzle and a lazy shrug of the shoulders. "You know you love me." he drawled, then inclined his head to the tiny form in the distance. "So?"

She took a moment to answer, still contemplating just giving him the finger. But in the end… "She can take it." was her simple declaration.

He raised a curious eyebrow, silently inviting her to elaborate.

She did so with some reluctance. "I have little doubt that doe right there is the toughest rabbit on the planet, Jim. And I don't mean it in a patronizing way."

"Oh? You sure about that, Ursula? Because I distinctively remember your rant about the Mammal Inclusion Initiative and how training a bunny was a 'waste of taxpayer's money'."

The drill sergeant felt her hackles rise at the reminder of her earlier views, and sighed. "Yeah, I did believe that in the beginning. I won't deny it. But my opinion changed, Jim. And if you were the one watching Hopps tear herself apart every single day and night, yours would too."

"Humm…" the disbelief was still evident in the wolf's tone.

"Okay, look." the polar bear said irritably. "You've sparred with Hornster, right? How many of his punches can you take?"

"The steroids-guzzling rhino? You think I'm made of steel, Ursula? The only way to survive a fight with that kid is to dodge." he told her, a frown on his face as he tried to see her point.

She turned back to him fully and crossed her large arms. Her umbrella laid forgotten on the ground, but she hardly needed it.

"I put Hopps on the ring with him. Large Target Takedown, yes? Well, he got her square in the guts, full power. Seeing it made _me_ want to faint.

"Ouch." he winced. He could definitely sympathize with that image.

"Do you know what she did?"

He tilted his head. "Puked?"

"Well… yes. But then she got back up."

His eyes widened. "Dogshit!"

"Three times." she raised the appropriate number of fingers to him. "Hornster could hardly believe it himself. He won, of course, but I think he was scared shitless of her by the end. I know I was."

"Damn…" the wolf muttered. His eyes went back to the rabbit on the track.

"That's not all, Jim. I don't think Hopps realizes it, but her fitness scores are going up faster than a rocket. She's already our best sprinter, not that much of a surprise there, but her strength and endurance are also beyond impressive now. And don't even get me started on her marksmanship! I've never seen a mammal improve so fast. It's almost unnatural."

"Are you telling me we have some kind of super-rabbit in the Academy, Ursula?"

The sergeant snorted and shot another look at the bunny. She was now jumping through the obstacle course of the Rainforest District training grounds. "More like super-stubborn, I think. There's fire in her, Jim. More guts inside that little bunny than in all of the other cadets combined. And she really _believes_ in what the police should stand up for."

They spent a few moments watching said cadet. "Okay, I'll take your word for it. And what was that little intimate chat about?" he once again raised an eye at her.

"A last chance to back out." Ursula answered promptly, arms behind her back. "Fantastic results aside, the pace she's putting herself through is excruciating. I wanted to make sure she was committed to it. I told her no one could think less of her if she left, and I meant what I said."

He nodded after a few seconds of consideration. "Sounds fair. And she clearly made her choice. So, what now?"

"Now?" the polar bear's own muzzle slowly turned into a grin. "Now I make sure Judy Hopps becomes the best damn copper Zootopia has ever seen." she declared with confidence.

They both saw as the bunny finally collapsed to the ground after clearing the course. This time, she stayed down.

" _If_ you don't kill her first." her partner pointed out dryly.

Ursula's grin turned positively feral as she went to see if Hopps was still conscious.

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0000000

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 **4 months later**

Her first day as a full-fledged Officer of the Zootopia Police Department, Precinct 01…

…and it was nothing like she had expected.

With a sigh, Judy placed a ticket on the windshield of yet another unlawfully parked car. She wondered how many hopes could be dashed in the span of a single morning.

Make no mistake, Zootopia was _breathtaking._ It was a kaleidoscope of sights and scents and sounds. Buildings of all sizes, shapes and colors imaginable. Wide avenues intersected by narrow streets dotted by twisting alleys. Its size was mind-boggling, housing millions of mammals inside its borders. It was a marvel of engineering, simulating such contrasting natural environments right next to each other. By day, it shone like all the precious jewels in the world. At night, it lit up under thousands upon thousands of artificial lights in a dazzlingly spectacle of colors.

No, the city was everything she ever dreamed it would be.

The citizens were the problem.

'Didn't forget, just don't care', were the words of her new boss, Chief Officer Bogo. And just like that she was back to being a country bunny trying to prove herself to the world; all the sweat, blood and tears she had shed to get to this point simply swept under the carpet. She had thought graduating at the Academy would prove her worth beyond doubt. She had thought being the top cadet of her class (and Ursula had confided that some of her scores had been all-time records) would see her being sent up straight to the tough cases. She had thought she was finally entering a place of equals, of mammals she could respect and trust to have her back just as she would always have theirs. She had thought she could finally start to make the world a better place.

And here she was, driving her 'appropriately sized transport' and writing parking tickets.

 _"Oh, boo-hoo. Poor little bunny."_ her conscience told her snidely. _"Step up, Hopps! You got the badge, you know you are a police officer. And if the Chief wants to put you on probation as a meter maid, you're damn well going to be the best meter maid ever!"_

She shook off the encroaching melancholy, and tried not to think how many times she had to do that in the last 6 hours.

 _"And besides,"_ her conscience was much chipper now, _"it's not like you didn't do anything worthwhile today. You made sure a business followed the appropriate rules of sanitation, stopped a blatant case of bigotry, and made a young child happy on his birthday!"_

That memory brought a warm glow to the bunny's face, even as she endured the angry complaints of a mongoose whose shiny new roadster she had just rung up. It had been so rewarding to stand up for that poor father and his adorable kit. It not only made her feel like a true cop, it also confirmed what she had always believed: that a mammal's species had nothing to do with their integrity. So she too had been suspicious of the shifty-looking fox at the beginning, who cared? The important thing was that she was right about her views. Buoyed by that knowledge, she put another burst into her steps and renewed her focus. No expired parking would escape her sight today!

And seven written tickets later, down in Sahara Square, she saw the very same small tyke from lunch standing at the sidewalk just a little ways from her latest mark.

She just had to go say hello.

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0000000

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"…you _lied_ to me." she had to struggle to keep her voice at reasonable levels. "You liar!"

The fox did not seem fazed in the slightest by her death glare. "It's called a _hustle_ , sweetheart." he corrected her in a smooth drawl. Then his forest green eyes grew large and he put a wounded paw to his chest. "And I'm not the liar," he quickly pointed to his right, " _he_ is!"

She _knew_ it was a damn trick, but her head swiveled of its own accord at the sincerity dripping from the fox's tongue. It took less than a second to confirm that yes, it was another con, and when she looked back the slippery canine was already gone. Out of the corner of her eyes she caught the end of a bushy red tail just breaking the corner of a building two streets away. The larger part of her was absolutely livid at his gal in lying to her face a second after stating he had not lied, and she immediately went after him to put the scum in his place.

Another, smaller part of her mind wondered how the fox had moved so damn _fast_ without her hearing it. But she left that mystery in the backburner for now.

She half-expected to find her red-furred target running wildly away from her, but he was just strolling down the street looking as serene as one could be. "All right, Slick Nick. You're under arrest." she told him firmly.

He did not even spare her a glance. "Really? For what?"

So she listed his crimes. And what followed were some of the most humiliating minutes of her life as the fox deftly countered every single one of her accusations, correctly deduced she was from the country and from a family of carrot farmers (even if he had been wrong about the exact county and her parents planted more than just carrots), and then proceeded to point out just how naïve she had been about Zootopia, her beliefs and her dreams. By the time he left her alone at a small yard, she was open-mouthed and desperately trying to come up with anything to defend herself.

The difficulty she was having came from the fact his remarks hit _very_ close to home. She had been wondering some of the same things all day, even if she tried to bury it all beneath a positive attitude. Even so, she was not about to let a lowly crook like him have the last word.

She jumped out of the yard only to come face-to-foot with a walking rhino, but her finely-honed reflexes kicked in and she adroitly avoided the large animal.

"Well, you _do_ know how to hop." came the sly voice a short distance down the street.

Her sharp eyes zeroed on the green tropical shirt, and she dashed over to stand in the path of the fox who still gave her that same infuriating lazy smile. She barely managed to avoid stepping on the fresh patch of cement a few construction beavers were pouring on the sidewalk, so focused she was on the perp.

"Now you listen!" she jabbed the popsicle stick in her hand at his chest like a weapon. "No one tells me what I can or can't be, especially not some _jerk_ who never had the guts to try to be anything more than a pawpsicle hustler."

He just chuckled. "It pays well, _meter maid_ , you should try. I can give you some pointers, even. You know, for a reasonable fee…" he wiggled his eyebrows and she had to keep herself from huffing. "Besides," he cocked his head and his smile got a bit larger, "I'm a sly fox, I just do what comes naturally." he made a show of buffing his claws.

Judy's scars throbbed.

"Don't do that!" she hissed out to him.

"I beg your pardon?"

" _Don't_ blame your despicable lifestyle on your species!" she raised to the tip of her feet, trying to get into his face. "That's the worst excuse! We are what we choose to be, and _you_ are just a jerk who happens to be a fox!" she repeated the words she had said to her own parents just a day ago.

"Oh?" his lazy drawl did not change, his easy smile remained. But something shifted behind the green eyes, and the bunny could not tell what it was. "Such a strong statement… from a rabbit who carries around a flask of fox _-_ repellant."

She felt as if she had been punched, all her self-righteous anger vanishing in an instant as she deflated. Her right paw went automatically to said self-defense equipment, but stopped half-way there.

"I… I…" she once again found herself grasping for words, but this time it was much worse. The fox's expression stayed the same, he simply kept his half-lidded stare right on her. And she suddenly found she could no longer meet that gaze. She looked down to her feet.

He hummed pleasantly and started walking again, going around her paralyzed form. But just a few steps away… "Nothing to be ashamed of, Carrots. That's just good thinking." the veiled sarcasm behind those words cut her almost like a physical blade. "Don't get discouraged, there's still lots of meters to be maided. Hang in there."

The soft footsteps got fainter and fainter, and soon he was gone.

Judy just stood there, she did not know for how long, mind racing and heart beating so fast she could hear it. A distant part of her mind was aware of the confused stares of the construction beavers, who had stopped working to watch the spectacle, and the sounds of traffic and hurried pedestrians. Before she even realized it, she was running. Frantically sprinting in the direction she had heard the con-fox going. Not seeing him anywhere on that street, she went to the nearest intersection, weaving her way through startled mammals who grumbled about crazy costumed rabbits.

She moved as if on autopilot. All the time her mind screamed to her. _"What the hell are you doing, Judy?!"_

She wished she had an answer.

She ran for minutes, quickly inspecting every street and window, but there was no sign of the fox. She did not know what she hoped to accomplish. Zootopia's central district was huge, he could be anywhere by now. But just when the strange and undeniable urge that had possessed her to chase after the fox cleared enough for her to start thinking again, she caught sight of red fur at a side alley.

And there he was, still walking in that same relaxed pace, pawns in his pockets. After her mad and only half-conscious search, what were the chances?

Before she could talk herself out of it, she dashed into the narrow passage. Even with the sun still shinning brightly in the sky, the alley was gloomy thanks to the tall buildings at both sides. Somehow, even the sound of cars and mammals was muffled. It was like walking into another world.

"Hey!" she called to the retreating form.

The fox stopped, and then turned only his head to look sideways at her. If he was surprised, or unnerved, by her appearance, he did not show it. He just gave her that same smile. "Really Carrots, we both have things to do. Aren't you abandoning your post or something?"

"You were right." she told him, eyes closing and paws clenched at her sides.

"I am right about lots of things, fluff. You'll have to be a little more specific."

With a deep breath, Judy slowly took out the fox-repellant out of her belt. She opened her eyes to look at the little pink container, and once again asked herself why she was doing this. Why was she, a proud police officer, inside that dark alley speaking with a confessed con-artist who had played her, and repeatedly insulted her just minutes before?

Suddenly, the answer was clear. She raised her eyes to the fox, who was still in the same position.

"You were right." she repeated. "I'm being hypocritical, I'm not following my own words. I'm being a jerk, myself." she gave another look at the flask in her paw, and squeezed it. "You know, I didn't _want_ this stupid thing. But my parents insisted, and I took it just to give them some peace of mind." the bunny shook her head, ears flopping around. "But that's no excuse. I didn't have to carry it with me to work, I could have left it in my apartment. Or just threw it in the first damn waste bin I came across, but I didn't!" she exhaled in a huff. "I think… I think I just thought 'hey, it's not like I'm going out hunting foxes right? What's the harm?' Guess I was still afraid, after all." she finished softly. Then her purple eyes hardened. "Well, I'm done with this!"

She saw an open dumpster further down the alley. With a single deft move, she threw the pink bottle where it deserved to be. In the trash.

The fox's eyes tracked the small object as it sailed through the air to fall into the dumpster. He spent a couple seconds just looking at it, before turning his attention back to her.

"Wow…" he dragged the word out very, very slowly, smile growing larger. He put a paw to his heart. "That was _inspiring_ , Carrots. Really, inspiring. I'm touched beyond words that you would…"

"Shut up!" she yelled at him. He raised a curious eyebrow, but stopped talking. "Stop lying! This isn't about _you_! I'm not doing this for you! I just can't call myself a police officer if I can't even stand up for my own principles!" she took another deep, trembling breath. When she spoke again, she was calm and collected. "You are a criminal, no matter how you try to dress it up. But even a conniving lowlife like you doesn't deserve to be discriminated upon, and I was doing just that to you and to all other foxes without even realizing it. So I _am_ sorry for that."

It was as if a weight had left her chest, leaving her feeling a little empty, but cleaner as well. Soon, that emptiness was filled with a new sense of determination, and she straightened up to her full (though admittedly not that impressive) height. She looked hard at the fox. She was somewhat surprised to see he was no longer smiling. Instead, his face was a contemplative mask. She cared little now, however.

Her scars remained quiet.

"I have my eye on you, Wilde." she pointed a furry finger at him. "Don't let me catch you hustling anyone ever again, or you'll just see what _this_ country doe can do."

With a firm nod, both to him and to herself, the bunny turned her back to the fox and started to walk out of the alley.

"You really believe all that, don't you? This isn't just you spouting some stupid slogan." his serious voice stopped her stride. It was still the same smooth, unhurried tone, but also different. That subtle mocking quality was gone.

She kept staring at the street beyond the alley. "Yes."

She waited for him to speak whatever nonsense he wanted to speak, and was caught by surprise when she heard a weary sigh coming from his position. She kept her back to him, though.

"Very well." he started in an equally tired tone. "In that case, allow me to give you one more piece of advice, okay? Free of charge."

She furrowed her forehead. What was his game now? "Go on."

"Go back to your farm, Carrots…"

She closed her eyes tiredly. Of course, how could she expect anything else? "Just cut it out."

"…before this city takes those noble ideals of yours and crush them."

Her eyes snapped open. He had said something similar before, but there was an undercurrent to his words now that implied a whole different meaning. She turned back to the fox and was unprepared for the intensity of his gaze on her. All traces of laziness or humor were gone from his face. The relaxed and slumped posture had vanished, and he seemed taller. Nick Wilde suddenly did not look like a sleazy con-artist anymore.

He looked like something much more dangerous.

"Look around you." he gestured grandly all around them. "This city, it is a symbol. A symbol meant to keep the mammal world united. The tall buildings, the shiny monuments, the Districts… all of it was built to tell everyone out there what we are capable of. While the birds live isolated on their mountains, and the damn scalies still eat each other on those islands we expelled them to, Zootopia is proof of how much more evolved mammals are. How Predator and Prey can overcome any challenge together."

He was quiet for a moment, as he fiddled with his tie. "But a symbol doesn't need to be _true_ to do its job, Carrots. On the surface, Zootopia works, sure. It would not have survived so long otherwise. But we are still just animals. Still a thousand different species competing against each other. Still closed off, still angry, still afraid. You think that little 'refuse service' display by Mr. Fatso at the ice-cream shop was bad? That was nothing. There's a dark side to this city that the papers never show and most are happy to ignore, if they even acknowledge it. But you are a cop, so you might not have that luxury."

The rabbit was tense. There was a sense of threat coming from the fox, but she somehow felt it was not aimed at her. "What are you trying to tell me, Wilde?"

He gave her one more piercing look, green eyes against purple. "I'm telling you to go back to your family, Officer Hopps, while the world is still bright. While mammals are good, and justice prevails despite all odds, and anyone can be a hero if they just try. I'm sure there will be a place at the local Sheriff's for such a dedicated bunny, and the folks there might actually appreciate you."

They stood facing each other for she did not know how long. His whole demeanor was just so unlike what she had seen up until now, that she had to gather her thoughts before asking him to elaborate.

But when she finally opened her mouth, a loud 'BANG' echoed from the street behind her. She turned quickly, body crouched, instinct making her ready for action, only to find an ancient-looking truck slowly making its way down the lane, black smoke coming out of the back and the oldest elk she had ever seen squinting above the driver's seat.

Like before, her distraction lasted only a moment. And like before, when she turned back, the fox was already gone without a sound. This time she found no traces of him.

* * *

ANs:

Hello, everyone. Hope you enjoyed this first chapter. Just putting some foundations down. I would like to say a few things about this story:

As I mentioned in the summary, this will be a retelling of the Zootopia movie. First, I would like to say that I loved the movie, every part of it. My intention was actually to write a post-credits story about Judy and Nick, police officers extraordinaire, taking on some really dangerous foes and showing some amazing skills. But then I realized the Judy and Nick I wanted to write would be too much OOC for the original material. So now I'm going to adapt the base story instead. I want to keep faithful to the basic storyline, but change it enough to hopefully keep you guys interested.

To sum it up, everyone in the movie is getting a boost. Bad guys and good guys. Also, Zootopia will be a grimmer place, in large part to accommodate Nick's new background. Which leads us to our protagonists. Judy remains largely the same, as she was already a pretty badass bunny to begin with, she just has some more levels in her character sheet now. As for Mr. Wilde, he's getting a whole new set of talents. As you saw, he's still a con-artist by the time Judy comes to Zootopia. But before that? Well, his past will be revealed during the course of the story, just like in the movie.

I want Judy and Nick to be roughly equals in the asskicking department. But she's the knight in shining armor, while her fox partner is… well, I guess the dark knight.

You saw how I skipped a lot of scenes. Well, I don't want to bore you with what you've all already watched. If a particular scene is not shown here, it either never happened (in which case it should be obvious why), or it went down almost exactly like in the movie, so there's no point revisiting it. Things _will_ change, thanks to the revamped Judy and Nick, and the more progress we make, the more AU the story will become.

The rating is for violence and language. No hot furry action in this one, sorry. As for a Judy/Nick pairing? That's most likely, but it will be slow and this retelling will probably remain in the realm of friendship. We will see.

Leave me your thoughts. I'm a _very_ slow writer, but chapter 2 should be out by the weekend.

Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 2 - The Missing Otter

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

"Hello!" – normal speech

 _"_ _Italic on the whole sentence."_ – thoughts

 _Italic on individual words –_ emphasis

* * *

 **The Missing Otter**

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It was still somewhat dark out on Sahara Square's streets, but the red-and-gold glow of the dawn was already starting to make its way around the rooftops of the tallest buildings. Soon, the sun would shine in the blue sky, the sweet smell of oily food would fill the morning air, and the streets and stores were going to be full of stupid mammals just waiting to be bled dry of their hard-earned cash. It was going to be a beautiful day.

The kind of day that Finnick treasured.

There was just a little snag marring that lovely prospect. It seemed his usual partner-in-scam was not at his full game.

The cream-furred fennec fox could not hold it any longer. "All right, what's crawling up your ass?" he asked in his deep and gravelly voice, completely at odds with his diminutive size.

Walking beside him in his typical languid stride, Nick Wilde spared him a distracted glance. "Huh?"

Finnick snorted. The larger vulpine had been out of it since they met up, about half an hour ago. Most other mammals would never notice it, just like they never noticed how the con artist was always aware of his surroundings. The fennec had known Nick for decades though, and he knew how each lazy turn of the head was a complete scan of the environment, how each slow breath was a careful cataloging of all nearby scents, and how those dark-tipped ears were even sharper than his own.

He also saw how the fox's scrutiny was a bit less intense that day. Just enough to tell him Nick was thinking heavily about something, and he damn well was going to find out what it was. Not out of concern for the fox (of course not!), but a distracted Nick could mean less money for both of them and _that_ was inexcusable!

"You got your head in the clouds, fox!" he prodded his partner's leg with a claw. "Your ego that swollen so soon in the morning?"

Nick paid no mind to the poking digit, but answered anyway. "Nah, just thinking."

Finnick barked. "No, really?! What _about,_ shitstain?!"

An old pair of zebra mares passing nearby looked shocked and scandalized at him, likely not expecting a 'cute little fennec' using such language.

 _"_ _Well, fuck'em and their stripes!"_

Nick saw them too and smiled. He knew Finnick's very short temper, and it looked like he did not want to bother with their standard game of taunts today as he came straight out. "I had another run-in with that rabbit cop after we parted yesterday."

The smaller of the duo made a look of distaste. "Ack, the sickeningly sweet meter maid? I wanted to wash my paw after she took it, it felt so sugary."

"Ah, she probably couldn't help it." he put both paws beneath his muzzle and gushed in a high-pitched voice. "You make _such_ an adorable kit!"

Not too distracted for taunts, after all.

"Watch that tongue if you wanna keep it!" Finnick snarled with bared fangs. But Nick was not worried, not that he had any reason to anyways, so the fennec just sighed. "What did she want?"

"To arrest me." the fox answered calmly.

"Oh, boy!" he snickered. "You at least left the cottontail?"

Nick smiled and shrugged. "Meh, she's fine. I was in a good mood." then that same distracted air from before returned. "And Carrots is way tougher than she looked at first. She's an… interesting doe." he concluded, then frowned. "Too soft-hearted for her own good, though."

"An interest…" Finnic's eyes widened and he stopped. "You telling me that Nick Wilde spent all night thinking about a _bunny_?!" he laughed for real now, a full belly-holding laugh. "And-and you even gave her a _nickname_?!" he almost choked on his own mirth. The other fox kept walking, so after he calmed down a little he ran over to him and gave a punch to his ribs. It was like punching a furry wall. "You dirty, deviant old fox! I _knew_ you had a Prey fetish! And a rabbit cop, of all things?! Oh, that's just rich!"

"Well…" said fetishist drawled while inspecting his claws. "I _am_ a gonner for a set of wide hips and strong legs _._ " then he thought for a moment. "Handcuffs, too."

That sent Finnick into another fit.

As the fennec struggled to get himself under control, the pair walked a shadowy side street into one of the less respectable, outlying parts of Sahara Square. It was not a slum; there were no slums at the 'main' Districts, thanks to the 'noble' efforts of dear departed Mayor Bronzehoof, which were continued in Lionfart's administration. It was just the kind of neighborhood where the buildings were smaller, the colors a little faded, the apartments tighter, the streets narrower, the public lights a little sparse, with no parks to speak of and where the trashcans stayed full for a couple of days. Where the inhabitant's clothes were simpler and their fur less shiny. And where a knowledgeable enough mammal could get himself some unofficial merchandise, if he knew which stores to look for.

The streets here were almost deserted this time of the day.

"So," Finnick asked when he could finally breathe properly again, "what's the plan today? We're running out of 'suppliers' for the pawpsicles." he still left out the occasional snicker.

Nick scratched his muzzle while he considered. "I know. We might want to give that particular venture a break for a few weeks." the fox's green eyes narrowed in thought. "I was thinking about 'the sleeping kit'." he suggested.

Finnick grimaced, he hated that stroller. But hey, money was money. "Yeah, sure."

The fox gave him a sideways glance. "Just try not to _actually_ fall asleep this time? Your snores are really hard to explain away."

He waved a paw haughtily, a smirk on his face. "You'll figure it out."

"I always do."

Finnick laughed. "And which District do we hit?" he got a sly look as he continued. "Central? Who knows, we might run into your little bunny again…" he said suggestively.

Nick's response, however, surprised him. "Humm… I hope not." he said with a slight frown, staring at the ground.

"What the hell do you mean by…" the fennec trailed off when he noticed another change in Nick's stance.

Again, it was a subtle thing that only a handful of mammals would pick on. His red ears twitched for just a second, then his pace became a hair slower and his posture relaxed even more than usual. A clear sign that he was ready to spring into action.

His larger natural cousin smelled trouble. It was not long before Finnick saw it too.

Another aspect of the more peripheral parts of Zootopia was a less thorough patrol schedule by the ZPD. That meant unsavory characters (like them) could operate a bit more freely. The average mammal still felt relatively safe though, and so they were often too careless.

Careless enough to let themselves be cornered into a dead-end back alley at dawn by some nasty criminals, for example.

Finnick saw the shifty-looking young cheetah (really, what an amateur) acting as an obvious look-out at the alley's entrance, still some distance away from them. As they walked closer, the fennec's big ears started to make out the familiar sounds of a mugging in progress. There was a strong aggressive voice making demands, and a fearful old one trying to plead. The overgrown cat saw them at that moment, stiffened for a second, but soon after relaxed and gave them a dismissive look. Probably thought a pair of foxes would stay the hell away from any trouble. Did not even try to warn his partner.

Finnick tried not to snort, as the thug was not too far off the mark there. Still an amateur, though.

Instead, he turned hard eyes to his own partner. "Leave it, Nick." he hissed. "This is not our problem."

"…I know." the red fox answered. His voice was still the same smooth drawl, but Finnick could hear the faint displeasure beneath it. Still, they turned away at the next intersection. Just when the fennec thought they had avoided that mess, his ears caught the distant sound of flesh-hitting-flesh, and a feeble voice crying out in anguish. He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. If _he_ had heard that pitiful scream, then...

By the time he opened his eyes, he was alone. Just as he expected. "And he has the nerve to call the meter maid a softie." Finnick grunted to himself. He put his hands in his pockets and called out to the empty air. "Just make it quick, Wilde!"

A few seconds later, there was a terrified shout coming from the alley. He looked back in time to catch the cheetah running inside to see what was the problem. There was a steely glint in the crimson morning light, it seemed he had a knife in his paw.

The fennec snorted and walked away. _"Heh! As if that will help you, kitty."_

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0000000

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"My mommy says she wishes you were dead." the young hippo told her innocently, before said mommy dragged him away with a last glare of burning hatred.

Judy sighed as she put away the ticket printer and went back to her tricycle. She was getting much more grief from the citizens that morning than she had the day before. It seemed they were quickly getting over the sight of a rabbit wearing police colors, and their bemusement was promptly replaced by the traditional disgust reserved for traffic wardens.

It did not help that the rabbit was very good at the job. But to be honest, Judy was barely hearing the complaints. Her attention had been on other things that day.

Nick Wilde's words had plagued her all night, giving her only a few hours of slumber (luckily she was very used to sleep deprivation). She never for a second considered following his 'advice' and going back to Bunnyburrow; that was just _not_ going to happen; but his implication that bigotry ran much deeper in Zootopia than she realized kept her up into the late hours.

So this morning, as she roamed the streets of Zootopia and hunted down parking violations almost on autopilot, she kept a close eye on every little thing around her, using the investigative skills drilled into her at the Academy. And sure enough, she saw some signs that… saddened her.

'On the surface, Zootopia works, sure. It would not have survived as long otherwise.'

The more she paid attention to the city where she now lived, the more she reluctantly understood what the fox had meant by 'on the surface'. The citizens here all lived in the same space. They walked the streets, went to work, ate at restaurants and visited shops.

But for every widely mixed group that she saw talking friendly, there were ten others formed only by mammals of the same kind. Most businesses seemed to prefer hiring workers of a given species, and many catered to a very specific crowd. 'Refuse service' signs were not uncommon. Even some occupations seemed to be filled by a particular sort of mammal. It was common to find whole neighborhoods inhabited only by folk of the same natural Family or even Genus. And when it came to Predator and Prey, the division was much, much more obvious. Of course, she understood different mammals had different needs or were more comfortable in the appropriate environments for them, but it did not account for even a third of what she observed.

She saw many exceptions too, and that encouraged her somewhat. But Judy's sharp mind would not let her deny what she had realized that second morning.

The mammals of Zootopia _existed_ together, yes, but they did not really _mingle_ all that much.

 _"_ _And I still don't understand what Wilde meant with all that talk about a 'dark side to the city'."_ she thought as she climbed aboard her little transport and casted a distracted gaze around the busy street. So yes, it _was_ dismaying to find out the great Zootopia might not be that different from Bunnyburrow after all. But it was not like the end of the world or anything. " _Was he just trying to be dramatic to scare me off?"_ that seemed like something the sleazy vulpine would do.

Suddenly her left ear went up, as a sound of breaking glass came from the flower shop right next to where she was parked. When it evolved into what sounded suspiciously like a scuffle of some kind, she went on full alert. Before she could get down from her car, the shop's door was flung open violently and a small furry shape flew past her.

 _"_ _Weasel, male, brown fur, white sleeveless shirt, black shorts with red-and-white stripes, carries a traveling bag too big for his size."_ her mind cataloged all the information from a single glance of the suspect. When a second later she saw a pig wearing the shop's uniform coming out with a frantic look in his eyes, she had all the confirmation she needed.

She took a fraction of a moment to draw her radio and address the anxious worker. "Stay there, sir! I've got this!" and then she was in pursuit. "Dispatch, this is Officer Hopps! I have a 10-31 at Flora & Fauna in Magnolia Street! One unarmed weasel! Pursuing on foot!" she spoke in her radio. Technically, a 'meter maid' was not supposed to run after criminals, but she was a frigging police officer and she would be _damned_ if she let a robber escape right under her nose!

"Stop in the name of the law!" she yelled at the fleeing mammal. He took one look at her and his big red eyes widened in surprise, before a mocking smirk formed on his snout.

"Catch me if you can, cottontail!" he challenged her. He scurried into an empty, twisting passage between two blocks that she knew would lead to a large open area where one of Zootopia's main train stations was located. If he managed to get there, there would be a _lot_ of civilians to be endangered and complicate the chase at the same time.

So he was not getting out!

 _"_ _He's fast."_ the officer admitted, seeing the guy's little legs almost blurring with how quickly they moved. But she was a rabbit, and she had not spent countless hours running around the Academy's track with ragged feet for nothing. With eyes narrowed to slits, Judy put a burst of speed to her sprint, clearing the distance between them in seconds. The robber's ears twitched as he heard her approach, and he took another backwards glance that turned into a look of shocked horror when he saw just how close she was. Desperation gave him an influx of energy too, and he sped up even more.

 _"_ _Too little, too late, pal."_

The rabbit managed to grab the weasel's shoulder in a steely grip, just before he could leave the alley. She dug her feet in the ground and easily spun them both around, making him loose his balance and crash to the cobblestone floor back inside the passage in a rolling mass of limbs. The bag he carried flew from his hands, and she deftly caught it before it could land on the ground.

Judy decided to give the suspect a chance to surrender, especially considering she had no handcuffs or any other easy way to restrain him. While she watched him gathering his wits after the rough landing, she once again contacted central. "Dispatch, Officer Hopps. Suspect is currently down but still a threat. Side alley connecting Magnolia with the Visitor's Square. Will proceed to detain, over."

This time, the voice of Benjamin Clawhauser answered her. "Acknowledged, Officer Hopps. Officers MacHorn and Wolford en route to provide assistance, ETA two minutes, over." she felt a feeling of gratitude for the large cheetah when he did not question her actions or even sounded in the least bit disapproving. In fact… "Be careful, Judy." he added in a concerned voice, and she gave a little smile.

"Understood. Will do, Ben. Hopps, out." in that time, the weasel managed get himself back together and up to his feet. "You're under arrest, weasel! Get down on the floor and put your paws over your head!"

His red eyes glinted with hatred as he looked from Judy to the bag next to her. He seemed to evaluate his options, and was apparently emboldened by her species, her size, and the fact she was still wearing the meter maid coat and hat. He assumed an aggressive stance, fangs bared and little claws poised threateningly.

"Big mistake! Ya in over ya fluffy head, bunny." he snarled.

Judy was not intimidated in the slightest, she put her paws on her hips. "Think this through, buddy. You're already facing a robbery charge. Do you _really_ wanna add resisting arrest and assault of a police officer to that?"

Her lack of fear and hard gaze must have unnerved him, because he seemed to lose some of his confidence as his eyes once again darted nervously all around the empty passage. But then he blinked, and the expression on his face turned victorious.

"I'll take my chances, carrot face."

Something in the way his eyes had lingered behind her for a moment sent alarm bells trough her brain. It was pure instinct that made Judy jump and roll to her left just a heartbeat before she heard the familiar sound of a tranquilizer gun being fired, and a dart whizzed past the space she had just vacated. She was still operating on reflex as she jumped to the safety of a nearby large doorway, hearing the gun one more time, its projectile missing her by mere inches. As soon as she had some cover between herself and the shooter, she could finally assess the situation.

The weasel had decided to ignore her, running instead towards his precious bag. A quick look over the edge of her cover revealed her second attacker, an incredibly large and bulky ram that stood at the end of the passage. He wore non-descript clothes, but had an ugly-looking scar covering the left side of his face and also carried the tranquilizer gun which he once again tried to nail her with. She ducked back behind the wall.

Time slowed down to a crawl. Her mind work a thousand miles a second. The weasel was almost on top of the bag and he was being covered by another, armed felon (most likely one that had stood back to assist the robber if things went south). She had no gun of her own, her backup was still a whole minute away, and there were a good 50 feet to the shooter. Mercifully, the alley was otherwise empty.

This should be easy.

Judy recognized the ram's gun. It was a standard Tuskmaester & Sons Model 9, and it could hold a maximum of 5 darts. Assuming it had been fully loaded to start with, the scum had two shots left. Quickly, the rabbit took out her bright orange security coat, making sure she was hidden from the ram's view, and then flung the garment into the open. As she hoped, the shooter not only wasted another dart by firing in reflex at the coat, it also gave Judy the opening to dash out of her cover and towards the weasel, who already had the bag in hands. The smaller perp was between her and the ram now, which made the larger foe slow to target her, just like she planned.

Not bothering with restraint now, Judy gave a running jump that covered the distance in a flash, and delivered a double-foot kick to the weasel's turned back. The crook barely had time to yelp in shocked pain as her powerful legs flung him into the air and straight into his partner's equally surprised face. The two mammals met each other with crushing force, and both bag and gun escaped from their respective owner's grip. The weasel looked down for the count, but the ram had barely moved and recovered faster than Judy thought would be possible. He immediately charged her with horns down and an enraged bleat.

 _"_ _Never try to overpower a larger foe, Hopps. Dodge, deflect, redirect, counter."_

The words of Drill Sergeant Ursula echoed in the back of her mind, and the rabbit did just that. She jumped right into the ram's head, using his horns as a springboard to launch herself upwards and simultaneously directing his charge straight into the brick wall. The groan of cracked stone echoed through the passage, along with the caprine's agonized yell, but Judy was not done. Hitting a windowsill two stories up at the end of her rise (and coming face-to-face with a very surprised moose) she took impulse and shot like a cannonball right back to the stunned ram's head. Using the combined forces of her muscles and gravity, she pile-drived the criminal to the ground.

And it was over.

Not ten seconds later, Officers MacHorn and Wolford came running into view, stun pistols at the ready, only to stop cold at the scene inside the alley. The looks on their faces were of incredulous astonishment.

"Sorry, had to be a little rough." Judy told them nonchalantly, as she picked up her security coat and dusted it off. Then she waved a paw to the two unconscious lawbreakers. "They are all yours now, officers."

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0000000

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"You abandoned your post, Hopps!"

Chief Officer Bogo smashed his hoof on his desk so hard, his name-plate almost went off the edge. The cape buffalo's big nostril flared and his brown eyes narrowed as he glared at the rabbit sitting in front of him. He towered over his smallest officer like a dark-furred mountain, and one could almost picture a thundercloud over his horns.

But Judy was not a rabbit to back down in front of a larger mammal. Her voice was respectful, but firm. "Sir, it's my _job_ to stop felonies."

Her superior gritted his large maw, and it sounded like two slabs of rock being ground together. "Traffic wardens _do not_ try to detain armed criminals, Hopps!" he told her pointedly. "They report a problem, keep civilians out of danger, and wait for _qualified_ personnel to resolve the situation!" he finished angrily.

Truly, the bunny had expected something like this. After her fellow officers put the two suspects in chains and secured them inside their car (they were not injured enough to necessitate an ambulance), they quickly took her statement and MacHorn told her to expect a call from the Chief at any moment. She went back to her post while they went to speak with the worker at Flora & Fauna, and she never got to see exactly what had been stolen. She had barely issued ten new tickets before the summons came for her to report _immediately_ back to the Precinct.

As expected, her boss was not a happy buffalo. But she would defend her position until the end.

"Sir, with all due respect, you may have assigned me to parking duty, but I am a _fully_ qualified field officer. I've trained for months to take down dangerous targets, to deal with unfair scenarios. I _know_ what I'm capable of, Chief." she put her paws at the desk, she could barely reach the edge down on her seat, and gave him an earnest look. "I knew I had the situation under control."

She must have done something right, because instead of screaming at her some more, the buffalo closed his eyes and took deep calming breaths instead. When he looked at her again a minute later, he seemed far more collected.

"I'm not so sure your actions inside that alley were done out of professional tactical assessment, and not simple recklessness, Hopps." he told her with a critical expression. "You were outnumbered and outgunned. You should have kept your head down and waited for backup." when she opened her mouth to protest, he put an imperious hoof up, so she quieted. The officer massaged his head for a second, before giving a rumbling sigh that echoed over the office like a drum. "That being said," he started again, "by all accounts, you did neutralize the suspects quite handily despite those odds. The report on the skirmish was very… impressive."

She tilted her head curiously, one ear up. "Report, sir?"

"Officer MacHorn found a witness, Hopps. He saw the whole thing start-to-finish from the window of his house, and gave a most detailed statement that completely corroborates yours."

Oh, right. The startled moose.

The chief kept going. "And Wolford described the second suspect as the largest ram he has ever seen. In fact, I believe his exact words were 'that was one sheep I would avoid getting on the bad side of'." he told her, making quoting marks with his fingers.

Judy could not help the feeling of pride that welled in her chest at that. Officer Wolford was one tough-looking lupine.

The buffalo put his hooves together on the desk, and spent a long minute looking hard at the bunny. It was not an angry gaze, Judy could deal with angry, but a calculating one. She did her best not to fidget.

After what felt like an eternity, he spoke slowly. "I may…" he paused and gave another mighty sigh, face collapsing into a grudging expression. "I may have been wrong about you, Hopps."

Judy's little bunny heart started beating so fast, she was afraid it would burst out at any moment. Could that mean she was finally going to be taken seriously?

But her superior did not elaborate. He simple sat there, staring at his hooves with distant eyes. It went on for so long, that the bunny started to think he had forgotten her presence.

So she chose to speak up herself. And since he now seemed in a rare accepting mood, she decided to voice a question that had been plaguing her since he first assigned her to parking duty. "Chief Bogo, sir?" she began softly. The buffalo's eyes snapped to her as if he had woken from a daydream, but he recovered quickly. He gestured for her to go on, so she did. "Sir, please, can I know why… all of you… sir, I appreciate how unusual it is for a rabbit to enter the ZPD. I-I can understand how hard it is to accept. I don't _like_ it, but I can understand." she clenched her paws tight and took a deep breath. "But Chief… not trying to sound like a showoff here, I am not just a random bunny wearing a uniform. I _finished_ the Academy, sir. I graduated with the highest honors. I worked my _ass off_ for those scores, and they should speak for themselves!" she took another breath and looked down on her lap. "Why… why is no-one willing to give me a chance, sir?" she finished quietly.

He did not answer right away. Instead, she heard his chair groaning in protest as the 2.000 lbs bovine got up and went to look out his office window, his back to her and his arms crossed.

"Do you know what Mayor Lionheart's Mammal Inclusion Initiative is all about, Hopps?" he asked suddenly.

She hesitated a little, trying to see what that had to do with anything. "Hum… it creates equal job opportunities for all mammals, sir?"

He grunted. "That's the slogan, Officer. What it effectively does is wave off job requirements that are deemed too 'prejudiced'." he once again made quotation marks. "Makes it _illegal_ to demand certain physical qualifications out of the applicants. In some cases, it even establishes a certain percentage of vacancies that _must_ be fulfilled by… different than usual workers." he waved a hoof dismissively. "We can argue about the merits of the Initiative all day, but the fact is that it is a very intrusive piece of legislation that has left a lot of citizens angry."

Judy was starting to grasp what this was all about, and a sense of dread began to form. "And-and what does that has to do with me?" she asked, even though she now had an inkling.

Bogo grunted again and turned back to her, reclining next to the window with his arms still crossed. "Do you really think you're are the first tinsy little mammal to apply for the ZPD, Hopps? The first rabbit, even?"

She felt her ears growing hot. "I… huh… yes?" she winced at how stupid that sounded.

The buffalo snorted, a knowing smirk on his face. "Well, you're not, Officer. There has been plenty others along the decades. But the Academy has always demanded a minimum size for prospective cadets, Hopps. You would _never_ have been accepted for training if it was not for Lionheart's new laws."

She found it hard to speak past the lump in her throat. "So… the other officers… the-the citizens… they think…"

The look the Chief gave her could almost be called one of sympathy. "Everybody knows you only entered the Academy because of the Mammal Inclusion Initiative, Hopps. Is it so hard to see they also 'know' you only graduated because of it, too?"

The rabbit's ears flopped uselessly down her back, and she felt herself begin to tremble. "But… my scores! The graduation ceremony! The Mayor even told everyone…"

The buffalo interrupted her with a short, grim laugh. "Ha! You believe that little media spectacle helped your position, Hopps? Yeah, sure, it might have been a symbol to those on the better end of the MII, but to everybody else? _Think_ , Officer!"

Judy's mind was spinning. _"They think it's all a_ lie?! _Everything I did, everything I suffered… all those sleepless nights, all those hours of training, every single one of my damn achievements… they think… they think…"_

"They think I am a-a _P.R. stunt?!_ " she all but screamed at the buffalo, her small body really trembling now.

He closed his eyes and gave a weary huff, as if this was painful for him, too. "Did any of the _other_ graduates took photos with the Mayor, Hopps?"

A flurry of emotions battled for a place in the rabbit's mind. Shock, anger, dismay, indignation, sadness, bitterness… every one of them seemed to tear out another little piece of her soul. And through it all, a voice whispered inside her head. A memory.

A memory of a tired-looking fox.

'Go back to your farm, Carrots, before this city takes those noble ideals of yours and crush them.'

She raised angry purple eyes to her Chief. "You too, sir?"

The buffalo did not answer. But he would no longer look at her, staring fixedly at the map on his wall. They stayed silently in the Chief Officer's room for many long, uncomfortable minutes.

Until a beep from the Chief's phone broke the stillness, followed by the nervous voice of Clawhauser, the cheetah.

"Chief?! Huh, Mrs. Otterton is here to see you again?" he informed, though it came over more like a timid question.

Bogo went to sit back down and pressed the microphone button. "Not now, Clawhauser." he told the cheetah quietly. Or as quietly as such a large mammal could.

The cheetah talked very fast. "Okay, I just had to know if you wanted to take this since she seems really…"

"This is _not_ a good time, Clawhauser." the buffalo interrupted, this time in his usual no-nonsense manner. "Tell her to wait."

The receptionist did not call again. Chief Bogo turned to the listless rabbit in front of him. "Look, Hopps." he began, almost gently. "Take the afternoon off, okay? Try to get some sleep. I promise you that tomorrow I will see what I can…" he trailed off, a sudden pensive look on his face as he seemed to consider something. The small part of Judy that was still paying attention wondered what it was.

Slowly, he once again pressed the button on his phone, not taking his eyes from the bunny officer. "Clawhauser? I've changed my mind. Please, ask Mrs. Otterton to come up."

The answer was immediate and very relieved. "Oh, thank goodness! I-I mean, of course, sir, right away, sir!"

The weird exchange had managed to drag Judy a little out of her funk, and she looked at him curiously. "All right, Hopps." he addressed her, all business. "Do you want a chance to prove to everyone here you're more than just Lionheart's pet cop?"

Her nose twitched and her ears started to rise again, but she was still a little hesitant given this last disappointment. "Ah… yes, sir?"

"Good. Then let's wait for our otter."

They did not have to wait long. As soon as the Chief finished, there was a quick knock at his door and he was barely able to speak 'enter' before Mrs. Otterton came inside.

"Chief Bogo! Thank you so much, sir. This won't take five minutes, I swear." promised the mammal in a sweet, matronly voice. Mrs. Otterton was a lovely little sow with light-brow fur and kind green eyes, wearing a lavender sweater over a periwinkle shirt.

But it was clear something weighted heavily on her tiny shoulders. She had a sad and frantic air around her, her fur was dull and her face looked thinner than it should be.

Chief Bogo raised from his chair to meet her. "Mrs. Otterton, I…"

"Please, Chief Bogo, my husband has been missing for ten days, his name is Emmitt Otterton." she interrupted the buffalo, pleading and desperate. Judy got down from her chair and saw the otter take out a photo from her purse.

"I know, ma'am. This is exactly what I called you here to discuss." he told her firmly.

That stopped the sow in her tracks. She raised hopeful eyes to the much larger mammal. "Oh?"

"Mrs. Otterton, may I introduce you to Officer Judy Hopps?" he gestured to her.

"Oh! Hello, Officer."

"Nice to meet you, ma'am."

"Officer Hopps," the cape buffalo brought their attention back to him, "Mrs. Otterton's husband is one of the missing mammals we have been looking for." the bunny suddenly understood where this was going. Bogo turned to the sow. "Mrs. Otterton, ma'am, Officer Hopps here will be taking over the investigation on your husband's disappearance."

Judy expected many things. She expected the otter to just agree, or to begin asking her questions, or to question the Chief's decision, or even to look at her with disbelief or disdain.

She did not expect to find herself embraced tightly by the smaller mammal while she cried tears of relief.

"Oh, thank you! Bless you! Bless you, little bunny!" Judy could only hug the otter back while she recomposed herself. It took a few moments, but the sow eventually let go of the rabbit and dried her glistening eyes. " _Please_ , Officer, I beg you, find my Emmitt." she gave her the photo. It pictured Mrs. Otterton along with her middle-aged boar and their two pups. "He's a florist. We have two beautiful children. I _know_ he wouldn't just leave us."

The bunny took a quick look at her Chief, who nodded seriously. The raw, naked hope on Mrs. Otterton's face was tearing at Judy's heart, and suddenly her own problems seemed like nothing. What did it matter that the other officers doubted her, when this poor otter was willing to put her trust on the rabbit? What was her disappointment, compared to this sow's pain?

Judy gripped the photo tightly, committing the faces there to memory. Her back straightened and her eyes lit up with purple fire. "I will find him, Mrs. Otterton. If it's the _last_ thing I do, I swear I will find your husband." for the first time since she was assigned to parking duty, the bunny felt her old determination come back with full force.

Screw proving herself to anyone! This was no longer about pride.

The otter looked ready to cry again, and gave her another hug. Unseen by both, the cape buffalo gave a little smile.

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"Yaikes! That's the smallest case file I've ever seen!" Clawhauser exclaimed.

"Yeah, the Chief warned me about that." Judy nodded grimly as she read the depressingly short file on Emmitt Otterton. They were inside Precinct's 01 reception desk, and the gluttonous cheetah had just handed her what little had been gathered about her missing mammal.

After the thankful Mrs. Otterton left the office, having answered all of Judy's questions to the best of her ability, Chief Bogo came clean with her. He explained there was a _reason_ why no detectives had been working on this particular mammal. Simply put, there were no good leads whatsoever. A quick investigation ten days prior had revealed that Otterton, who worked from home, left his house while his wife took their pups to school. He told no one where he went, and none of his known acquaintances had seen fur or hide of him from that day on. The otter was a kind, peaceful mammal who never hurt a fly and had no grievances with anyone. The _only_ thing they had was a picture of Otterton taken by a city camera on the morning of his disappearance, and it revealed nothing about his whereabouts.

Bogo believed that, until some new evidence presented itself, the case had all the hallmarks of a dead-end. As all the other cases looked more promising, and he was already short on detectives as it was, he decided to focus the ZPD's efforts on the other mammals, hoping that one of them would eventually provide a clue to locate the missing otter.

It would not have been Judy's choice, but she knew it was a tough call and understood the Chief's decision.

Though she was no longer doing this to prove herself (and she would knock on every single door on Zootopia with the photo of Otterton in hand if she had to), she could not stop from bluntly asking the chief if he was assigning her such a hard case on purpose. And he bluntly answered that yes, he was.

"Here's the deal, Hopps." the buffalo had told her. "It's gonna take something _major_ to change opinions about you, and you can't go around all day hunting mutant sheep to wipe the floor with. If you crack this case, chances are good you'll get some respect around here. And if you don't, well… it isn't like your reputation can get much worse."

So, yeah.

"Find anything?" the cheetah asked her after she spent a few seconds looking at the street-cam picture of the victim, face so close to the paper her pink nose almost touched it. The image was taken from a distance, though, and was a little blurry to boot. There was something there… if she could only look closer…

The sound of Clawhauser slurping on the straw of his empty soda bottle caught her attention. Perfect.

"Can I borrow… thank you." she took the bottle out of the surprised receptionist's hands and used it as an improvised magnifying lens. With that she was able to properly see her otter, and her attention was instantly draw to the frozen candy in his hand, one that she would recognize anywhere.

A pawpsicle.

 _"_ _It can't be!"_ she thought, scanning the rest of the photo. But sure enough, there on the bottom right was the familiar image of a red foxy tail.

Just what were the chances?

"Ah… Judy?" Clawhauser's voice snapped her back to reality. She turned her head to the cheetah so quickly that he jumped away in fright. And then he had to scramble to catch the doughnut he let drop. "Oh, my precious, you're safe! *aham* Eh… sorry. It's just that you were kind of standing there with this scary-focused look…" he trailed off.

"I… think I have a lead." she told him.

And her voice must have sounded as uncertain as she felt, because he asked hesitantly. "That's, ahh… good?"

Was it?

Just one way to find out.

"I'm going to check this out, Ben." she jumped over the desk.

"Wait!" the cheetah called to her, and she turned with an inquisitive look. "The Chief called while you were on your way down, said you're to go to the Armory. You know, get yourself a pair of 'cuffs and a stunner. Jeremy will be expecting you."

"Oh, okay." she told him, a little surprised. She had not even contemplated getting a gun. She obviously had not been allowed one as a meter maid.

"Hey, Chief said he heard you're one hell of a shot, Judy. That true?"

She blinked. "The Chief said that?"

"Yep."

She suddenly noticed how they were in hearing range of a lot of officers in the entrance hall. A few could even already be seen whispering and stealing glances at her. She felt a small smile form on her mouth. Chief Bogo might be a hardass and not the most open-minded mammal around, but he owned up to his mistakes.

On her way down to the precinct's Armory, while she thought on the best way to approach her slippery target, she caught a conversation between two other officers drinking coffee on the stairs.

"…some kind of message for their gang, most likely. I mean, why else would they just leave them beaten half to death there?"

"Well, criminals beating criminals is just karma, I say. But no leads to the attackers?"

"Nope, no traffic cameras in the area and those thugs won't be speaking anytime soon. Their wounds indicate some kind of blunt weapon was used. The two scum both had blades near them."

"Hum, a hippo and a cheetah? Not exactly lightweights there."

"Nope, must have been really outnumbered. Sahara Square is going to the curb, I say. Real glad my sister ditched that useless boyfriend and got herself out of there."

"Serious? when?"

"Just last week, went back to our folks..."

Judy's ears twitched in curiosity as she tuned them out. Gang wars in the Sahara? But she quickly dismissed the thought. She had a fox to catch and an otter to find, she could not waste time thinking about mysterious assailants.

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"Your lawyer is here." the pig police warden informed from the other side of the cell's bars. In short order, the large ram was escorted by a pair of tigers to the small private room. He tried to not let his disgust at the stinking Predators show, instead keeping a stoic face.

Entering the room, he saw the familiar face of a black-woolen ewe. She wore a business suit whose strict cut contrasted sharply with its soft pink color. The name Maria Gimmer – Attorney at Law was written in her suitcase's name tag. Her blue eyes tracked him as he was sat on the chair by the guards and hardly even blinked until they left the room.

When they were finally alone, she crossed her small hooves on the desk and spoke to him in a sweet high-pitched voice that belied the steely undercurrent to her words.

"Big Sister is very disappointed in you, brother."

He felt his heart constrict painfully. "I… I know." in contrast, his voice was gravely and gruff. As if he seldom had reason to use it. "It was all the weasel's fault!" he exclaimed suddenly. "And that meddlesome rabbit's. She was a meter maid, she wasn't supposed to interfere."

The large mammal still could not believe how easily he had been defeated by that slip of a doe. His head still throbbed painfully and the tips of his horns were broken.

The attorney's mouth became a thin line. "The weasel is Predator trash, brother. Of course he botched everything up. And the bunny was just doing her job. _You_ should've just let her detain him. Stealing the plants was simply the more expedient way to make sure they wouldn't be traced back to us. We have other means to get what we need."

He opened and closed his mouth for some seconds, until finally giving a sad huff. "I just wanted to help the Flock."

She took his hooves in hers, patting them lightly. "We know, brother. Big Sister knows." she told him softly. They sat in silence for a minute, before Gimmer put a hoof on his chin and raised it gently. "And now we will need you to help us more than ever, brother. The weasel knows nothing. But you…"

"I would never betray us!" he almost shouted, only the knowledge of where they were kept his voice down.

"We know." Gimmer assured him. "We don't doubt your loyalty. But the amount of sedative on your darts would have been lethal to that rabbit, brother. And she isn't just _any_ rabbit, as you well know. Do you think either Bogo or Lionheart will let this attempted murder go? They will try to destroy you. The Chief won't rest until your life is an open book, we _need_ to stop this investigation."

"How?"

The ewe reached inside her wool cap and extracted a small pill. "The Chemist made this. It is a special formula that will make you appear dead, but you will only be in a deep coma. The medical officer here is one of ours, brother. He will confirm your 'death', and then we will make arrangements to have your 'body' liberated."

Hope sprung into him. "Will this work?"

"I won't lie to you, brother, it's risky. The formula is not perfect and it could be... too much." she told him seriously.

He closed his eyes tightly, took a deep breath, and then looked to her with conviction. "If anything happens, my son…" he pleaded.

"Will be well-cared for." she assured him promptly. "The Flock looks after its own."

He nodded resolutely. "All right."

The ewe gave him a look of sympathy, before she put the pill inside his hoof, and then closed her own over it, squeezing him in comfort.

"Wait until tomorrow and take it. It will work in a few hours. We won't forget this, brother, I promise."

He nodded again. He took a moment to think about his beautiful, precious little lamb, and to trace the fearsome scarring on his face.

 _"Never again."_ he repeated their mantra. The words that Big Sister had instilled in all their hearts.

Afterwards, as she watched the ram being escorted back to his cell, Maria Gimmer thought sadly to herself. " _We won't forget this sacrifice, brother."_

She had lied to the ram. It was awful, but necessary. They did not had anyone in the Precinct's medical staff, or in the city's prison. But they really needed to stop Zootopia's Chief of Police from digging too deeply into the large sheep's dealings and, more importantly, there were no guarantees that he would not spill something eventually. Big Sister said they could take no chances.

His lamb would be looked after, though, she had been honest about that. The Flock _always_ took care of its own.

* * *

ANs:

Hello again, everyone. One more down. Did I mention that the pacing would be a little slow? Now you know.

We got a small taste of what both of our heroes can do. Don't think Nick is way stronger than Judy, they both still have tricks up their sleeves. And they will need them, trust me. Also, don't read too much into the foxes' comments about 'wide hips and strong legs'. That was just banter…

…or was it?

Remember how I mentioned changes? Well, we saw a few here. On one hand, Judy impressed her boss. On the other hand, she never got to save Fru Fru. We will see how that turns out.

Thanks to WritingWolf14, Zero1606, Dreemurr009 and upplet for their reviews or PMs. You rule!

And thanks to everyone for reading!


	3. Chapter 3 - The Unlikely Ally

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

"Hello!" – normal speech

 _"_ _Italic on the whole sentence."_ – thoughts

 _Italic on individual words –_ emphasis

* * *

 **The Unlikely Ally**

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In a city as large as Zootopia, where millions upon millions of mammals made their homes, there was bound to be more than just one 'Nick Wilde'. But when Judy decided she needed every advantage she could get in her second encounter with the con-artist, and that a good way to start would be by digging up his official records, she found only one Nicholas P. Wilde that was also a grown red fox. She brought up his files; criminal history, educational records, financial information, and whatever else was available. She had some suspicions about what she would find, based on his chosen 'profession'.

What she read was both expected… and strange.

"Something isn't right here…" Judy mumbled to herself as she examined the screen in front of her.

"You about done, _Officer_?" a faintly snide voice interrupted her thoughts. The way the grumpy-looking wallaby said the word 'officer' suggested he had doubts about the accuracy of the term. "I have a lot of work to do and little time to waste."

The rabbit resisted the urge to sigh. It became obvious the moment she stepped into the precinct's Records Office that the mammal in duty subscribed to the 'she only got here because of politics' club Chief Bogo had told her about. Somehow, knowing the source of his displeasure did not make enduring his patronizing any easier.

But Judy remained professional. "I believe so, sir. I will need these files here in print, please." she gestured politely to the screen.

The yellow-furred wallaby made a face like he was going to protest, but then shut his mouth with an audible 'click' and sat back down on his desk's computer. The office was a large and musty-smelling room mostly occupied by filling cabinets of all sizes, along with lengthy metal racks that groaned under the weight of hundreds of boxes. The rabbit still had no access to the ZPD's network (the Chief said he had I.T. working on that) and was forced to ask the recalcitrant clerk for aid. Fortunately, the buffalo had the foresight to call ahead and inform Records that she should be given the standard clearance for a detective. Bogo was nothing if not thorough.

Muttering to himself all the time in a tone he thought she could not hear (she could), the officer proceeded to print the requested files and put them into a blue folder. "Anything _else_ , Officer?" he asked not-quite rudely.

"No, sir. Thank you for your help."

"Whatever." he grunted, and hopped to the back of the room. Apparently, he could not suffer her sight any longer.

So different from her earlier experience... She had gone to the Armory before coming down to Records, and Jeremy Wallace, the warthog sergeant in charge, had been every bit as friendly as Clawhauser.

If not nearly as enthusiastic.

The fearsome-looking old suid gave her a pair of handcuffs and a regular black WGM K-25 stun pistol. It was the smallest model he had available and it still looked huge in Judy's hands, but at no moment did the sergeant look at her as if she could not handle it. On the contrary, he told her he would love a little match at the shooting range when she had the time and the rabbit felt nothing but professional curiosity in the request. Proof that not all ZPD officers were opinionated jerks like this one.

With a shake of her head, the bunny put both good and bad cops out of her mind. She focused again on her current mystery.

Turned out, Nicholas Wilde had a record. An extensive one in fact, and it all began when he was just a wee kit. At the age of 9 he had been brought before the Zootopia Court of Youth for assaulting a group of junior Ranger Scouts during his initiation to their troop. The case had been messy, with Wilde accusing the other boys of violent hazing while their parents called the fox a deranged antisocial. In the end, the kit was subjected to extensive counseling regarding his 'aggressive tendencies'.

It did not seem to work, as more and more files were added to his record. For the next several years, as he left kithood and became a teenager, Wilde had been a regular visitor of the juvenile systems. Petty theft, vandalism, more violent altercations when he was older (though those almost always involved other known wrongdoers), he even seemed to have joined a gang of teenage Predators sometime around 13. By all accounts, he had been a very angry young fox, with a fiery disdain towards authority and a strong dislike of Prey mammals.

 _"_ _An even worse version of Gideon Grey. Coincidence?"_ a traitorous voice inside Judy's mind whispered. But it was just a vestige of old-rooted fears, and the rabbit was quick to dismiss the thought. It was much easier now than it would have been just the day before.

Despite that, it was undeniable that Wilde had been a first-rate young delinquent and was well on his way to becoming a full-grown thug.

But then, just a few months after he turned 16…

She got back to the reception hall, the burst of sound as dozens of mammals spoke animatedly assaulting her sensitive ears full-blast. Officers went about their duties or socialized a little in the corners, while a couple others brought in some suspects for questioning and citizens of all sizes came to report a theft, or file a charge, or (in the case of a caribou doe with the most ridiculously frilly dress Judy had ever seen) loudly complain that _someone_ was posting 'indecent' photos of her on the web and the government had better take responsibility for it. Clawhauser had a look of barely-concealed boredom as he half-listened to her tirade, before his eyes found Judy and his snout formed a real smile. He gave her a double thumbs-up and mouthed a 'good luck', which she answered with a smile of her own and a paw wave.

When she finally got out into the open air in front of Precinct 01's main entrance, she was startled to realize it was already dusk. The scenery was beautiful, with nary a cloud in the sky and the green grass and trees of the park in front of the precinct weaving gently in the warm evening breeze. The background was framed by the golden towers of Savanna Central, bathed in the fire of the setting sun. Hundreds of mammals could be seen wandering around, enjoying the last bit of natural light at the park or just going back to their homes after a hard day.

She also realized that she had not eaten anything since breakfast.

Judy briefly considered going after the fox right then, but thought better of it. It was best to give a more thorough reading of his files first, as she had been so caught up on his criminal records that she had barely touched the rest. She would have all night to come up with some plans to deal with the con, as she expected he would try to be difficult.

Before she started to make her way back to her rented room, she gave one more look at the vulpine's records. Her eyes lingered on one particular picture, taken on Wilde's last stint in a precinct's holding cell, almost 16 years ago. The image of a young fox with a split snout and some nasty-looking scratch marks on his collarbone and shoulders (which had to belong to a mammal much larger than him) glared back at her, green eyes filled with raw defiance. There was so much anger and loathing on that face, that the rabbit had trouble conciliating it with the older fox that hustled her just the day before. This was no suave and charming con-artist. There was nothing calm or lazy about the youth in that picture.

But mammals changed, that much she knew. Wilde might still be a crook, but he _seemed_ to have put his violent ways behind him at the very least. She would still be on guard, of course, but was confident she could handle anything physical coming from him.

And in any case, it was not the fox who she was gunning for.

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Up on the precinct's Visitor Lounge, she watched from behind the ceiling-length windows as Officer Judy Hopps disappeared into the busy streets. She sighed, absently fixing her glasses. Through the reflection on the glass, she caught sight of Maria Gimmer on the other side of the room. The dark-woolen ewe saw her too, and gave the barest of nods, before going on her way.

So it was done. She sighed again, lamenting the loss of a faithful and strong brother. But what had to be done, had to be done.

As she made her way out of the ZPD headquarters, her thoughts went back to Judy Hopps. She sympathized with the rabbit, she really did. She knew better than most how hard it was to overcome other mammal's expectations, how it felt to be looked down upon. She had actually been all set into giving the little bunny a helping hand. Letting her know she had a friend in the city. It would certainly not hurt to have one more indebted contact close to Chief Officer Bogo.

So when she heard Hopps had been caught in some kind of scuffle, she thought it would be the perfect time to start gaining her confidence. Then she learned one of her followers had made a complete mess of a simple lookout job, and she had to run some frantic damage control instead. But despite the difficult position the doe's actions put her in, she was not angry at Judy. She was, in truth, very surprised by just how amazingly competent she seemed to be. She was ashamed to admit it, but despite her own annoyance at how Hopps had been discriminated, she too had subconsciously dismissed the rabbit as a serious police officer.

Such was the strength of Zootopia's prejudices, that they affected even her!

It did not change the fact she was no longer so sure about bringing Hopps close. Sure, she might actually find out where the otter was and thus help the Flock's plans move forward, but what if she dug a little _too_ deeply? Who knew what tricks that bunny could pull out of her hat? No, she had to think more about this.

And in the meantime, it would be best to have Hopps watched carefully. Just in case.

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The first thing Judy did after leaving the station the next day, was to make her way to the most recent address listed on Wilde's forms. She found herself in front of a nice four-story building on the Savanna suburb whose apartments, she was just a little irked to discover, were _much_ nicer than her own dilapidated flat. They were about ten times larger, just to begin with.

But she soon learned her target was not at home. She did spoke with the building's resident manager, and the middle-aged raccoon had nothing but good things to say about his fox neighbor. How he was polite and sociable, never hosted loud parties, and had the best jokes.

"Wasn't so keen ta having him here back when, ya know?" he told her in confidence, and with a really thick slur. "But he's really not bad, fer one of them foxes anyhow. Can't imagine such a harsh-working fella being inta trouble with ta law." he completed, fishing for more info.

 _"_ _Oh, he must be hard at work right now, no doubt."_ she thought, but refrained from inflicting her sarcasm on the poor manager and just thanked him for his time.

So she went to Sahara Square next, to the spot where she had seen Wilde and his fennec partner loading up their van the day before. She found the van parked inside that same alley but, again, there were no vulpines to be seen, large or small. With her more obvious options exhausted, the rabbit was left with either waiting for them to return, or the daunting prospect of roaming the streets of Zootopia at random, hoping to catch sight of either fox.

Judy had never been one to wait around. It was just after lunch (that she had missed again), when she found the fox calmly walking down a sidewalk back on Savanna.

As she went to drive beside him, she noticed the pink stroller he was pushing and her ears caught the muffled sound of an absolutely _horrible_ snoring coming from under the closed hood. But even as she was right beside the walking fox, he made no sign of noticing her or her little transport. So she gave him a couple of brief honks (which sounded just pathetic and made her cringe on the inside every time) for good measure.

When his green eyes finally settled down on her, his snout opened into an easy smile, and his voice was cheerful. "Well, if it isn't Officer Tut Tut! Still around, I see."

She gave a half-laugh. "It's Officer _Hopps_ , actually, Mr. Wilde." she tried, but could not resist adding. "Surprised?"

His eyes became half-lidded, but the smile and cheery voice remained. "A bit saddened that some people won't follow good advice, but surprised? No, not at all. I expected no less from you, Carrots." she managed not to scowl at the enduring nickname. He went back to looking at the path ahead. "And I see you ditched the hat and coat. Got yourself a promotion, yes? Congrats."

She blinked, and almost ran over a little mouse and his tiny car. She had not expected a compliment, even a fake one. "Ah... yes. Yes, I did."

The fox closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. "Pity. Those poor, lonely meters will never find themselves such a zealous caretaker again, I'll bet."

The rabbit's smile became stiff. "I'm sure they will manage, Mr. Wilde. Now," she raised a notepad and a carrot-shaped pen to him, "I came here to ask you some questions about a case."

Wilde gave her a side glance. "From meter maid to detective in less than a day? Way to _hop_ up the ranks, Officer." he raised a mocking thumb to her. "But I'm afraid I can't help you. Too busy. See'ya." and he picked up his pace. Her nose twitched at his complete dismissal of her.

Well, that just would not do.

Putting a short burst of speed, Judy went over the sidewalk and parked right in front of the fox, blocking his path. Wilde stopped, one eyebrow raised high in curiosity, but he was no longer smiling.

"Really, Carrots? You're gonna wake the baby."

The rabbit scoffed while she got out of her car. "We both know _that's_ no baby, Wilde." she went to stand in front of the con, blue folder tucked beneath her arm and carrot pen in hand.

 _"_ _Let's see if two can play this game."_

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At the roof of a low building over two blocks away, a brown-furred squirrel watched the two mammals from behind the ultra-magnifying lens of his camera. He was hidden from any observation himself, with only the tip of the aforementioned instrument peeking out from his cover, and the lens had been designed to not reflect any light. He could not hear their conversation, of course, but that was a necessary compromise. If he knew in advance that his mark would meet with someone, and the location, he could have planted a listening device nearby. Sadly, that was not the case.

In fact, nothing about this mark was easy. He had spent the whole morning jumping from district to district, and it was a pain in his furry butt to find a new hiding location every time. Yet, from the very beginning, his employer had made clear to not underestimate his mark's senses, appearances aside. And the squirrel was not the _best_ observer in the city for nothing.

He was curious about what business his mark had with one of _their_ kind, though.

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"This is important." Judy began seriously, before turning on her best mocking tone, "I think your _ten_ dollars' worth of pawpsicles can wait?" the pen was discreetly pointed at Wilde, she made sure her thumb was covering the speaker at the side.

One thing she learned in her life was that tricksters were a prideful lot. She hoped to goad Wilde into saying things she could make him regret.

But it was not to be. Instead of being riled up, the fox relaxed. "You know how it is, Fluff, every single cent counts." he crossed both arms over the stroller's handle. "Gotta put food on the kit's table." he added, smiling again.

That made her bristle, could he just _stop_ lying? "You don't have any children, Wilde." she bit out.

"That we know of." he countered easily. "But I was talking about my _future_ kits, of course. Need to save up for the little brats." then his smile got just a bit sharper, and she could hear a note of triumph on his next words. "Glad to know you checked, though. Really thorough, Officer."

Judy could feel herself blushing under her fur. She wanted to provoke the fox, and it was her that ended up losing her cool. Something told her she had just lost her chance to trick Wilde into saying anything incriminating.

She sighed, lowering the pen. Time to try and appeal to whatever shred of consciousness the crook still had.

" _Please_ Wilde, just look at the picture?" she showed him the photo of Otterton licking his candy. She tried to instill as much earnest in her voice as she could. "This is Emmitt Otterton, and he is missing. You sold him one of your pawpsicles about two weeks ago, right? Do you know him?"

The fox gave the photo a disinterested glance. "I know everybody, Carrots." she could barely start to get her hopes up, before he dashed them. "I _also_ make a point in not involving myself with stuff that's none of my business." a disdainful snort came from inside the baby stroller, and Judy realized the snoring had stopped for a while now. Wilde ignored the sound. "So yes, I sold your otter a pawpsickle. No, I don't remember snuffles about what he did after that. Can I get back to work now?"

He was lying, she _knew_ he was lying. The rabbit had been paying close attention, and she saw how he shifted his gaze for a fraction of a second when he denied any more knowledge of Otterton.

"For once in your sad and miserable life, can you do the right thing, fox?" she gave him her harshest glare. "There is a wife and two sons who are desperate to have their husband and father back. You can't spare your _precious_ time for a cop? Fine! Do it for them!" she took out the picture of the Otterton family, and would have shoved it into his furry face if it was not for the stroller between them.

Wilde looked at the new image in her hands for a while, eyes veiled. But in the end, he took a tired breath and spoke with an apathetic tone.

"This might surprise your cottony self, Carrots, but not everything has to be a crime-in-progress." he straightened from his previous slouching, and fixed his tie. "Sometimes, a mammal might just _want_ to disappear for a while. Ever thought of that?" he started pushing the stroller around her. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I do need to prepare for those oh so looming kits…"

Her leg on the stroller stopped him abruptly. She heard a decidedly un-babyish grunt from beneath the hood, and the fox closed his eyes in exasperation.

"Ok, this is starting to get ridicul…"

"You _would_ know about wanting to disappear, wouldn't you Wilde?" she interrupted him, voice nonchalant.

His eyes snapped open, and the look he shot her was so piercing it almost made her flinch. But she did not, because it also confirmed her suspicions.

"What? I checked you up, remember?" the smile she gave him was sardonic. "So tell me, Mr. Hustler, where did _you_ vanish to between the spring of 2000 and the winter of 2008?"

It took a second for him to plaster another smile on his face. "Oh, you know, I was out there." he waved an airy paw. "Seeing the world, broadening my horizons…"

Her voice was mocking. "What, tired of the gang life?" she crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow of her own. "You were gone for almost _nine years_ , Wilde. Your mother even filed a Missing Mammal report that was never withdrawn. It's still on ice back at the ZPD."

At the mention of his mother, the fox's smile twitched, and the rabbit was sure it would have curved into a snarl if its owner had not kept himself in check. Interesting.

"That's old history, rabbit, and I fail to see how it is any of your business." he told her, and for the first time since they met, Judy heard an undercurrent of anger. His eyes narrowed to almost slits.

She ignored it. "Your missing status was buried for so long, that when you suddenly applied for that permit to sell food six years ago, nobody even thought of questioning you about it." she put a finger to her mouth. "But you know what _I_ find the most curious? That was the same day you bought your apartment, wasn't it? I went there – nice place, by the way – and I can't help but wonder how someone who spent almost a decade out of all official notice somehow had the bucks to buy real state in Central upfront like that." she put her paws on her hips, and affected an innocent thinking pose. "One wonders _where_ you got the money, yeah?"

The fox tapped his fingers against the stroller's handle, and each contact of claw against metal was like a hammer blow in the silence that followed. The sounds of cars and pedestrians in the streets around them felt like coming from behind a wall.

When it seemed Wilde would just stand there staring at her, Judy decided to end it. "Look fox, I couldn't care less about your past, okay? All I want to do is find Emmitt Otterton, and as _loath_ as I am do admit, you're the best lead I have at the moment." she went closer to him, and once again green and purple orbs tried to drill into one another. "So unless you want to make it 'my business' to investigate what your sorry ass spent those nine years doing, you're going to tell me where that otter went, and you're gonna do it _right now_." she smiled sarcastically again. "I mean, I _am_ just a dumb bunny." the smile turned as feral as a rabbit's could. "But I assure you, I'm stubborn as hell."

Another tense moment of silence followed her words, and a flurry of thoughts seemed to struggle inside the con-artist.

A deep and gravely laugh came from the pink stroller next to them.

Both fox and rabbit turned surprised gazes to the baby carriage, the heavy atmosphere that had surrounded them shattering. The hood was drawn back, revealing the large cream-colored ears of Wilde's little fennec partner. He was wearing the same elephant pajamas of the day before (which _still_ looked too damn cute on him), and was laughing his guts out.

"Ha ha ha! T-this, this r-rabbit…" he stopped for a moment, chortling, and tried to rein in his mirth. He pointed a finger at her, still doubled over, and the look on his eyes was of incredulity. "T-this r-rabbit, she…"

"Finn."

The con-artist's word was mild, but it cut through the air like a knife. It had none of the controlled anger from before. In fact, during the time Judy had stared entranced at the fennec, the larger fox had relaxed completely. He had a paw beneath his muzzle as he looked at his friend.

Said friend now blinked up at the red fox, muzzle half-open in mid-laugh. In the next seconds, a silent conversation seemed to go on between the two vulpines, and the rabbit looked from one to the other trying to make heads or tails of it. 'Finn's' head tilted to the side in confusion, and Wilde weaved a lazy paw back. The desert fox blinked one last time and a sly smirk blossomed on his snout.

"She _got_ you, Nick!" he laughed, pointing back at her. But she was sure the object of his amusement had changed completely while they had their little staring contest. "Got you by the _nuts_ , partner!" he jumped up and caught hold of Wilde's necktie. The con, for his part, looked a little amused as well. "Here, you'll need one of these." he took out the sticker badge she gave him before, and just about hammered it into the fox's breast-pocket.

Then he jumped down to the sidewalk and started walking away, pulling the stroller with him. "You _enjoy_ your time with the fuzz! Might just end up _handcuffed_ by the time you're done!" that sent him into another laughing fit.

Judy could just stand there, totally confused, until the fennec disappeared around the corner. Only then was she able to look back at Wilde, to see he was contemplating her.

"W-what?"

He clasped his paws behind his back. "I don't know where the otter is, I only know where he went."

She blinked. "Just like that?"

He grinned. "After that badass display? You bet."

"Oh! Ah... great!" she took out her notepad, still not believing how things got resolved, and looked expectantly at him. "So…"

" _However_ …" he told her, grin growing larger, "…I have one tiny condition before I will tell you."

The doe sighed. Nothing could be easy with this fox, could it? "What is it?"

"I'm going with you."

Her ears went straight up. "Say that again?"

"I'll tell you where Otterton went," he repeated slowly, "but I want to go there with you." he pointed from him to her as he spoke.

Judy's nose twitched. What was his game _now_? "I had to threaten you just to make you tell me this small thing. What the heck happened to 'none of your business'?"

He stepped closer, looking down at her as if he was greatly enjoying this. He likely was. "Well… now it _is_ my business, ain't it? I don't want anyone to say that Nick Wilde does his stuff half-assed." his voice got just a bit sarcastic. "And maybe I also want the opportunity to see the great Officer Hopps hassle someone _else_ for a change."

Her puzzlement gave way to suspicion. "This is detective work. You really think I'm bringing a con-fox along?"

"Correction, this is a _dead_ - _end_ until I tell you what I know." he countered evenly.

"You already confessed to knowing about Otterton. I have enough to bring you into the precinct for questioning."

"That you do." the fox agreed, and brushed some imaginary dirt from his shoulder. "But your otter isn't getting any younger, is he? What was it you said? A wife and two kids waiting at home?"

She gritted her teeth, swallowing the very impolite retort she was about to utter, and took a deep breath. She _was_ thinking on bringing him along anyway, if only to make sure he was not leading her into some fake chase. She would just need to keep sharp.

"Fine!" she stomped back to her transport. "Get inside." she pointed at the seat, it was large enough for the two small mammals. The fox went after her languidly. "But I warn you, Wilde!" she turned and jabbed her finger at his chest. "I see you taking me to some gang hideout or whatever, and I _swear_ you'll find yourself in prison faster than you can say 'pawpsicle'!"

He became dead serious for a moment. "I left _that_ life behind, Carrots. If you believe nothing else I say, believe that." he then raised his paws in mock surrender. "And it's nowhere dangerous, keep those bunny knickers on." something about that phrase made him smile bigger.

"In fact…" the glint in his eyes was of someone about to play a prank. "…I think you're gonna _love_ the place."

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The squirrel quickly put his camera away, ran towards a side of the building that was not visible from where his mark was, and, without hesitation, dived over the parapet. Just on the other side there was a light but sturdy cable that he had prepared for a quick exit, and he grabbed it with a gloved paw as he rappelled down to the deserted alleyway below. In seconds, he entered his own non-descript car and went to follow his mark from a safe distance.

As he quickly caught sight of the scooter's warning lights (could they make it any easier?), he used his phone to contact one of his employer's other agents.

There was a single ring before the call was accepted. "Yeah, it's me." he squeaked. "Target made contact with someone… unexpected. They are going somewhere together. I need you to check them out." he quickly sent a picture from his camera that had been automatically stored on his phone. "You got it?" he waited while the other mammal exclaimed in surprise. "Yeah, I know." another pause. "No, she did not arrest the fox, this is something else."

He saw them turning into an avenue, and he was now sure they were headed to Sahara Square. "Who knows with _their_ kind?" he snorted. "It could be nothing, or it could be a new threat. Check them up, and we might be able to tell which one it is." he heard his interloper complaining about how hard this was going to be for him. He laughed cruelly, something most would find strange in such a high-pitched voice. "Do I care, mate? Boss is paying me a lot of bucks to keep track of this mark. _You_ get a lot of bucks to find things out about anyone in this city. So handle it."

He weaved expertly among the traffic. Sometimes, it really paid off to have a little car. "Yeah, 'course I'll keep at them. You worry about getting that info." he ended the call without waiting for an answer.

"A bunny and a fox." he murmured to himself, shaking his head. "Should be interesting."

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When they finally went back into Sahara Square's hot streets, she was all but ready to try and scrub her eyes with bleach.

The Special Officers Course at Zootopia's Police Academy was one of the most extensive and grueling training regimes in the mammal world. During those long months, Judy Hopps learned to handle every kind of dangerous situation that a cop could find themselves in.

She learned how to survive the different environments of the mega-city. She learned how to subdue targets big and small. She learned how to use all kinds of weapons, from knives to pistols to sniper rifles. She learned how to disarm bombs. She learned how to disperse riots. She learned how to conduct a high-speed chase. She learned how to negotiate in a hostage situation. She even learned how to go undercover.

And she _excelled_ in almost all of it. By the end, she was confident the Academy had prepared her for anything.

She was NOT prepared for what waited her inside the Mystic Spring Oasis naturist club.

Everywhere she had looked, there was bared skin, fur and… _parts._ She did her best to look at the ground, to hide her eyes with her paws, but she still had to watch where the yak receptionist had been leading them. And even those small glimpses where enough to make her want to bury herself three feet beneath the ground.

Was it possible to die from embarrassment?

And the whole time, Wilde had just strutted beside her without a care, wearing the most satisfied expression in the world. His sly glances had almost been enough to make her anger overcome her mortification, and she wanted to punch his foxy mug so much that it _hurt._ Would it have killed him to give her a little warning?

Then again, seeing her squirm had probably been the reason he wanted to come along in the first place.

"Well, I had a ball _._ " the fox said cheerfully. Her paws twitched with repressed urges. "How about 'cha, Carrots? Enjoyed the sights?"

"You have _no_ idea how much I want to beat you up right now." she hissed at him.

"Tsc, tsc. Police abuse…" he smoothed his shirt. "You're welcome for the clue, by the way."

She gave one last huff, but the reminder of the very good lead she got from the club's receptionist helped to calm her temper. The fact he could have told them all those things without even leaving his desk, skipping that whole unpleasantness, made her want to pull her ears out.

With great effort, she pushed all those memories inside the 'Never Open Again' folder of her mind, focusing back on the case. "Isn't it strange that none of Otterton's family or other friends knew about this club? I mean, six years? And he never told his wife?"

She was speaking more to herself than anything else, but Wilde chose to answer anyway.

"Not really, no." he told her, scratching the underside of his muzzle. "Most of those mammals back there are obviously proud of their lifestyle, but I betcha some see it more as a 'guilty pleasure'." he shrugged. "Perhaps the old fella was just ashamed to admit it. Or perhaps," he grinned, "he didn't want the missus complaining about his wandering eyes…"

The bunny frowned, ignoring that last remark. "He… he just doesn't look the type to hide things like that."

"Like _I_ didn't seem the type who would hustle a cop?" he quipped, and she shot him a glare. "We all have our dirty secrets, Carrots. It's just that some of us have far more of 'em than others."

That made her smirk. "Gee, your list must be the size of Zootopia."

"Nah…" the con shrugged again. "The size of the Rainforest District, perhaps."

The doe shook her head. She started flipping through her notations, ending up on the page with a plate number. "Now, to find out who this car belongs to…"

The fox went to prop himself against one of the giant plant jars in front of the naturist club, idly watching the approaching midday traffic. "That should be cake for a copper, eh?"

Her ears twitched. "Usually, yeah. But I'm not in the system yet… Chief said it would be done by tonight." the ears dropped now, and she put both paws against her closed eyes. "Uhrg, I'll have to grovel to that damn wallaby again."

"Now _that_ I would love to see."

"Oh, shut it!" she sighed. "Well, no choice…" she turned back to the fox, paused for a while, and took a deep breath. "I won't say it was a pleasure, Wilde, but… thank you for the help." she crossed her arms. "I'll even let your obvious new scheme with that fennec go away today, but remember…" she pointed at her eyes, then at him. "Good day."

She started to make her way back to her scooter, but did not take ten steps before a lazy voice called her.

"You know…" she turned her head to look at the fox, and saw him watching the sunny sky with a placid gaze. "If you'd rather not deal with your 'honorable' colleagues, I happen to have a friend at the DMV who _could_ run that plate for you." he picked up slowly at the inside of one of his red ears. "Why, it's even much closer to this place than your station…" he trailed off, now looking at her suggestively.

She blinked, then her eyes narrowed. "That's awfully generous of you."

"Just looking out for my reputation, remember?" he joked. When her suspicious expression did not waver, he put his paws in his pockets and came closer. "Ok, seriously. My partner already called it a day, he must be on his third nap by now actually, which means that _I_ won't be making any more money today." his face went serious for a moment. "I don't _care_ all that much for your otter, Carrots. But as you made sure I had the whole afternoon free, I don't mind helping you." he smirked, showing his sharp teeth. "If for nothing else than because this has been terribly amusing so far."

Judy tapped her foot while she considered the proposal. She really was in no mood to deal with more bigotry that day. Between the wallaby back at precinct and Wilde, she honestly thought the con-fox was the more bearable jerk.

A crook, a _fox_ crook, better company than a fellow cop? What was the world turning into?

She knew she could just ask Chief Bogo directly for help, and was reasonably sure he would have the info she needed in a matter of minutes. But even if he had not said so outright, she knew this case was as much a trial before _his_ eyes, as it was a chance to prove herself to the other officers. Despite her fierce desire to find Otterton as quickly as possible, she did not want the cape buffalo to think she was the sort of mammal who went crying to daddy every time she hit a snag.

"Okay, I'll bite." she finally decided. "I hope your 'pal' can make this happen faster and in a friendlier way. Come on." she waved for him to get into the scooter.

"Oh, it'll be friendlier, alright." he told her. Then he added in a whisper so quiet, even she could not make out the words. "Don't know about faster, though."

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The squirrel watched from a nearby café as his mark and their unexpected companion prepared to leave. He quickly, but calmly, finished his small coffee and put a large bill beneath the empty cup. He then went back to his car while keeping the mammals in sight with his peripheral vision. This time he had been able to plant a tiny microphone while they were inside (in the very same jar the fox had used as a recliner) and he had listened to a most curious conversation.

He had just started the engine and was taking to the street, when his phone rang. It was his fellow agent.

"Hit me." he squeaked.

The other mammal quickly relayed the information he had been able to acquire, saying how he had to check in a rather large favor and that it had better been worth it.

"That actually confirms a couple things I've just learned." he said after the information broker was done. " _Very_ interesting. Ya' know what? I think we could use this…" he spent a minute in contemplation, and one of those ridiculously tall giraffe cars blocked his vision of the scooter for a couple seconds. By the time he finally managed to rid himself of it, the target was gone.

He kept his cool, though, and used his finely-honed instincts to get back on the trail. The police lights, once again, made it too easy.

He finished his thought. "Yeah, we can use this. I'll call the boss and pass this info along, you stay sharp in case I need you again." the small mammal listened amused to the other's rude words. "Yeah, fuck you too, mate. 'Till next time."

He finished the call, and immediately called the private number of his employer. The one he should _never_ call unless he had something _really_ good to pass along. He was confident this qualified. "Hello, boss? It's Jimmy." he spoke, and this time he was the very figure of politeness. He knew better than to be disrespectful to the mammal at the other end of that line. "I think we might have what you need…"

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After assuring her that this would not take as long as she feared, even throwing a sarcastic quip about how in Zootopia 'anyone could be anything', her vulpine companion went straight to one of the many desks at the reception of the Department of Mammal Vehicles, completely ignoring the dozens upon dozens of mammals that waited impatiently at their lines. There were more than a few dirty looks sent their way.

Others just looked incredulous that a _bunny_ and a _fox_ were walking side-by-side.

When he was close enough to the sloth behind the counter that he would be easily heard, Wilde called his 'friend' in the most charming voice she had heard from him yet.

"By the blossoms in the fields and the stars in the sky, if it isn't the finest sow in all of Zootopia!" he went to rest against the desk, waiting with a pleasant smile while the sow in question turned, sluggishly, to look at him. When her eyes landed on him, the fox continued in the same suave manner. "Priscilla, darling, can I just say you look positively _dazzling_ this day?"

The cop had to admit, she was a little shocked. She expected the con's contact would be some shifty type. Perhaps a sort of drinking buddy or the like. She had not expected a nice-looking sloth lady with pink clothes and purple glasses.

The sloth's expression slowly morphed into a happy smile. One of her paws, filled with very long claws, raised up to her mouth in a delighted gesture.

"Nickie… Wilde. How… nice… to… see you." her voice was velvety soft and, if not for the _painfully_ ponderous pace, would have sounded lyrical. "What… can I… do… for… you… my dear?"

The fox put a wounded paw to his heart. "Oh madam, why do you always assume the worst of me? Can't I just come here to bask in your beauty and brighten my dreary day?"

The sow gave a gentle slap at his arm that took the whole of twenty seconds from start to finish. She giggled softly, each syllable coming by itself.

"Stop… it… you rogue!" she giggled again. Then she noticed the small rabbit beside him, wearing an uncertain smile. "Oh…my! And who… is... this lovely… doe? A… ladyfriend?"

The implication behind that question made Judy's ears burn, and she almost choked on her next breath. Wilde spared an amused glance at her as she coughed in indignation. "Come now, Priscilla! You know this foxy heart only has space for you." he took her paw and kissed it gallantly. " _This_ fierce-looking bunny right here is Officer Hopps, and she is only a temporary partner, sadly." he patted her head, and she resisted the urge to smack his paw away. Then he came closer to the sloth and stage-whispered. "And between the two of us, I think she's the 'work before love' type anyway."

"Hey!"

"Don't… be… mean… Nickie." the sow admonished him, then turned her kind eyes to the rabbit. "I… take it… you… are the one… that… needs a… favor… hum?"

She gave one last huff to the fox, before smiling at the sloth and getting to business. "Yes, ma'am. We need you to run a plate for us, please. We are in a big hurry!"

The larger mammal just nodded. "Number?" she asked.

"29THD03."

The sloth promptly started to input the characters into her tablet, though her speed (or lack thereof) made the bunny want to squirm. Priscilla also seemed capable of multi-tasking, because she kept chatting with Wilde even while running the plate.

"You and… Finnick… should… come by… sometime… for dinner. It's… been… so long." she told the fox.

He shrugged apologetically. "Ah, you know Finn… if it doesn't involve money, vixens or booze, he can't be bothered." he then raised a solemn paw. "But I promise my lady that I'll bring both of us reprobates to your lovely abode someday soon, even if I have to drag his sorry little ass there."

She gave a small, satisfied smile. "You… do that." and she turned the screen of her tablet towards them. "Here… you go… Officer."

Judy stared at the screen in confusion for a second. She had expected the sloth to print the info.

"It's… faster." Priscilla said.

The rabbit grinned in thanks, and quickly noted down the information. She got excited. "It is a limo from a private company at Tundratown! Maybe he's still there!" she went to dash out of the building, but remembered herself in time to turn and bow to the helpful sloth.

"Thank you so very much, ma'am!" the sow just nodded again, still smiling.

"Bye, darling. Always a pleasure. I'll call ya." Wilde gave the sloth a jaunty wave, and joined her. When they left the glass doors, Judy was pleased to notice it was still mid-afternoon.

 _"_ _That wasn't so bad after all."_ she thought. They still had a couple of business hours to check the limo service that would hopefully point her towards her missing mammal. _"And it was_ definitely _better than dealing with that asshole at Records."_

As they climbed inside her scooter without a word, Judy did not even stop to think about how she was bringing the fox along for the ride again. This time without any protest.

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They all had to deal with some heavy traffic that not even their small vehicles could move quickly through, and it was the time of the day when the world gained a blue-gray tint, just before sunset. It enhanced the already austere landscape of Zootopia's coldest district, making everything look solemn and still, despite all the mammal movement around them.

When they entered Tundratown, their little squirrely stalker saw the direction the two mammals were going, and considering the place they had left from, he connected the dots. It was time to call the Boss again.

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"Good afternoon, sir. I'm Officer Judy Hopps, ZPD. We would like to ask you some questions."

The thick-coated horse that met them wore an immaculate black suit, complete with a chauffeur's cap. He gave them a coolly polite look from the moment they entered the frozen parking lot of the Tundratown Limo Service, and his size and bulk made him tower over the much smaller mammals.

"I see…" the equine's voice was also on the worst side of frosty. He shot a quick, distrustful look at the fox beside her. "Can I inquire as to the nature and subject of your questions, ma'am?"

Judy was getting a bad feeling about the prospects of this visit. "I'm in the middle of an official investigation about a disappearance, Mr…" she looked at his silver name-tag. "…Hostner. We have reason to believe that the vanished mammal, Emmitt Otterton, used your services on Tuesday evening, 11 days ago." she showed him the photo, and the horse barely even glanced at it. "I would like to confirm this information, and ask about his itinerary and possible whereabouts." she clasped her paws at her hips and waited expectantly.

The worker's answer was immediate and very firm. "I am sorry Officer, but this company is known, and sought, for our standards of professionalism and discretion. We do not make a habit of disclosing information our clients might like to keep private." he turned from them, going back towards the little security shack next to the entrance. "I cannot deny or confirm anything about any otters, nor can I allow you to enter our premises any further. Unless you are able to produce a warrant, I'm afraid I must ask you and your companion to leave."

The rabbit looked up at Wilde, who just gave her a 'you are the detective here' kind of shrug.

"Sir, please." she tried again. She really did not want to go through the hassle and delay of requesting a warrant. "Mr. Otterton isn't being accused of any wrongdoings, and he might be in grave danger. Every minute counts."

"I regret not being able to help you, Officer. But I don't make the policies." he did not sound all that regretful to her.

The doe was about to try a more heavy-pawed approach, when a phone inside the shack started to ring. The horse went to answer, but left the door open so he could watch them. "Tundratown luxury transports, how can we be of service?" a second later his eyes widened to the size of dinner-plates, and his voice became positively obsequious. "S-sir! How c-can I… what?! Yes, they…" his eyes jumped nervously back to the bunny and fox. "I-I, what? Ah, yes sir, of course sir. I understand, sir. I'll do it at once! Yes, sir! Thank you sir!"

As he put the receiver back down, his hoof was trembling slightly. He suddenly appeared much smaller.

"I'm sorry ma'am, there's some urgent matters that I need to attend to. However, feel free to enter the parking area and conduct any searches you feel necessary. I'll be with you again shortly."

And then he slammed the door of the shack in their faces, and left the baffled pair standing there.

"Ooookay… what the hell? Who do you think that was on the phone?" she turned back to her 'partner', only to find the fox looking fixatedly at the shack, a frown on his face and green eyes shadowed. Was it just her, or did Wilde's posture appear even looser than usual, despite his expression?

"Something fishy going on, Carrots…" he eventually looked back at her. "But…" he glanced briefly at the door the horse disappeared into. "…we do have permission now… sorta." he gestured towards the cars. "Your call."

She thought for a moment, and her right paw tapped at the grip of her stun pistol. It was a comforting weight at her side, and she made sure the strap keeping it in place inside the holster was open. "Let's take a look at the cars, but keep those eyes peeled."

He nodded. The sun was starting to set now, and a red hue began to paint the horizon. The pair walked slowly towards the row of parked limousines, all large ones to accommodate all sizes of mammals, and they seemed like white sleeping beasts in the darkening light. There were 9 of them on the lot at the moment. At the far back of the parking lot, there was a small building that probably served as a lounge for the drivers. It looked deserted at the moment; they _were_ just about to close for the day.

Judy let out a frustrated huff when she saw most of the limo's plates were frosted over.

"Damn it! I'll take those on the left and you take the others." she told him, already walking to her side. But she was stopped by Wilde's gentle tap on her shoulder.

He was looking at a limo on the right row, which was kept a little apart from the others. "No need, Carrots. I think that's our ride."

She blinked. It, too, had its license plate covered by ice and illegible. "How can you tell?"

"'Cause it still smells of rage, fear and blood, though it's very old." he told her grimly.

She started at that. Was he serious? He _looked_ serious, which considering his usual mood must mean that he was. She sniffed the air herself, but though she could distinguish a plethora of scents, there was nothing particularly strange about them. She knew a fox's sense of smell was better than a rabbit's, but was it that much better?

 _"_ _Well, nothing to lose anyway."_ she decided, and went towards the limo, Wilde trailing behind. She had a paw on her gun now, and made sure the horse attendant was still inside his shack while she went to clean up the car's plate.

29THD03

"You're right! This is it!" she whispered, only to notice the fox was not beside her. Instead, he had not bothered with confirmations and went straight to the car's rear door, which he had already opened.

The glance he gave her was unreadable. "You'll want to see this, Carrots."

She went there, now fearing what she might find. And under the growing shade of twilight, she looked in shock at the inside of the luxury vehicle. Everywhere inside the limo, there were claw marks. Dozens upon dozens of them. Deep, angry scratches, though they obviously belonged to a small mammal. The seats, the floor carpet, the side coverings, not even the ceiling was unscathed. One of the headrests looked as if it had been _chewed_ through.

"If your otter was here, he had a really bad day."

She barely heard him. "You ever seen anything like this?" she asked.

There was a couple of seconds before Wilde answered. "Yes."

She started. "What?!" but the fox was already inside the car, looking around with suddenly focused eyes. So she went in too, and started to apply her training to the scene.

She had her gun draw.

She was about to open the little privacy window to check to front of the limo, when she heard the con-artist hiss in alarm. She immediately turned, body crouched and pistol raised, scanning for threats. But all she saw was Wilde standing next to the tiny bar, holding one of the crystal glasses. She noticed it had a stylized white 'B' on it.

"Don't _do_ that!" she hissed back at him. "You want me to zap you by accident?"

But the fox looked at her with a dead-serious gaze. "We're leaving, Carrots." he told her, and his voice was urgent. "We're leaving _right now_."

"W-what?! What are you talking about, we're not _leaving_. This is a crime scene!" she looked to the direction of the security shack. "In fact, there's a lying horse that I need go and put in 'cuffs."

But her partner shook his head, putting the glass back down. "That would be a mistake. This car belongs to Mr. Big, which makes the horse one of his employees."

She was starting to get really worried about this shift in the fox's demeanor. "Who's 'Mr. Big'?"

"The most feared crime boss in Tundratown." Wilde informed her, stepping closer. His ears were up in attention. "And one of the most powerful in all of Zootopia. He's rich, connected, has an army of agents at his beck-and-call, and is absolutely _ruthless_ about protecting his interests. If he's the one that made your otter disappear, then there's little you can do about it now."

She gaped at him, trying to process all that.

The fox massaged his forehead, eyes closed in regret. "Dogshit! If I had known Mr. Big was running a fucking limo service now, I'd never have let you come here."

That snapped her back, and she narrowed her eyes at him. " _Let_ me? What the hell to you mean by that, Wilde?!" she stomped her foot. "And you don't seem all that scared of him."

He glared back at her. "I'm not a _cop_ , Carrots."

"Well _I_ am, and I'm not afraid of any criminal, big boss or not! I'm going to interrogate that horse." she stomped to the door, but was stopped once again by Wilde's paw.

This was no gentle tap, though, it was a full-on iron grip. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to let her know she was not going anywhere. The rabbit tried to shake it off, but found that the fox was much stronger than she expected. So she whirled around to give him piece of her mind, only to flinch as she saw him hunched over her with his face inches away from her own. His frosty breath hit her nose, and it smelled strongly of cinnamon, with the faintest undercurrent of tobacco. It surprised her.

But not as much as the fierce gaze that he pierced her with. Something small and primitive at the back of her mind screamed at her, and Judy was almost overcome with the urge to spring back and raise her gun at him. She was only able to push the instinct down because she could see the glint of sincere worry hidden beneath the intense stare.

"You listen to me very carefully, Hopps." he began, when he was sure he had her undivided attention. "Remember what I said about this city's dark side? Well, you mess with Mr. Big's business, and you're gonna dive bunny-ears-first into it. And it doesn't matter how great a cop you are, you won't survive the trip. You get what I'm saying?"

"I… you…" she was speechless once again, wondering what to do. Before she could think much further, though, Wilde's ears twitched and he looked up in alarm.

She heard it, too. The sound of another car approaching, and then parking nearby.

The fox closed his eyes. "Damned..." he whispered. He straightened and released his grip on her, fixing his tie. "Ok, you want to leave this place in one piece, Officer? You stay right here while I try to talk our way out of this mess." he stared imperiously down at her. "I'm serious, bunny. Stay! Put!"

And then he left, closing the door behind him.

Judy followed his advice for the whole of three seconds, before scrambling outside with her gun at the ready. She saw that a new limo was now on the parking lot, this one a lustrous black. Wilde stood middle-way between the two vehicles, hands in his pockets, waiting for the newcomers to make themselves known. All he did when she went to stand defiantly next to him, was to sigh in resignation. They both remained silent.

The tinted windows did not allow her to see inside the car. But it was impossible not to notice when the rear doors opened and two massive polar bears got out. Both were male, of similar size, and wore matching sport sweaters. They walked slowly towards them, and barely spared a flat look to the pistol in the bunny's paw. She was surprised to notice their faces were serious, but not unfriendly. They stopped a respectful distance away, huge paws crossed beneath the waist.

Before she could speak, Wilde greeted them. "Raymond, Kevin." his voice was relieved. Her head snapped to him so fast, her neck protested. He _knew_ them?

"Master Wilde." the bear on the left inclined his head politely, followed by his companion. His deep and gruff voice was also not hostile or threatening in the least. "Great to see you in good health, sir."

The con took a deep breath, once again massaging his forehead. "If _you_ guys are here, that means the old boar knew I was coming." he huffed, and glared at the much larger mammals. "He put one of his little stalkers on my ass again, didn't he?"

The bear on the right, Kevin she guessed, smiled lightly. "Boss worries about you, sir. He likes to make sure you're not in trouble."

The fox scoffed, but then closed his eyes and seemed to be doing some furious thinking. After just seconds, he looked back at the bears. "That little blue car…" he spoke slowly. Then he snapped his fingers in realization. "The brow squirrel at the café… I thought he looked too casual. Darn it."

Both bears looked at each other in amusement, before the one she guessed was Raymond nodded. "Sharp as ever, Master Wilde."

"Not enough, it would seem." he shook his head, then took a step closer. "Look fellas, can you just let my friend here leave? I didn't know who owned this joint, and would really hate for this to become a problem." his tone was mild, but there was no mistaking the steel behind it.

Judy was _so_ tempted to step in, but wanted to see where this was going. She was also amazed, and even a little touched she had to admit, that the con-artist seemed willing to get into trouble with these huge guys for her sake.

Said guys once again traded looks, this time serious ones. Kevin then came forward, paw going inside his sweater. Judy instantly pointed her gun at him, eyes hard. The bear paused for a second and much more slowly drew an envelope from inside the clothing, making sure she could see the movement.

Wilde accepted it with a frown. It was pristine white, with golden filigree and lettering, and a wax seal in royal red. He quickly broke the seal and opened the folding letter, scanning the contents. Half-way into it, he stiffened.

"Little Fru Fru is getting married?! Tonight?!" he looked at the bear for confirmation, who nodded. It was Raymond who spoke.

"To Mr. Fero, a young but successful businessman. His father was a good friend of the Boss while they lived in Rodentia. They reacquainted a few months after you left us, sir. He seems an honorable boar. The Boss approves."

Kevin took over. "Boss would be very happy if you could join the festivities, sir. And the young miss would be ecstatic, of course. She really misses you."

By this point, Judy had lowered her gun. Wilde also lowered the invitation. She could not see his face very well, but he seemed deep in thought. The bears waited patiently.

When the fox finally spoke, it was with clear regret and some other, deeper emotion the rabbit could not place. "Thank the old boar for me, fellas, but I can't accept it. Send my warmest regards and best wishes to Fru Fru, please."

He extended the letter back to the bear. But the larger mammals made no move to take it. For the third time, he and his partner conversed in silence, before Raymond spoke. He had a small grin on his large snout.

"The Boss expected you might say that, Master Wilde. So he has a deal for you… and your cop friend."

Both small mammals perked up at that, if perhaps for different reasons. Kevin looked at Judy. "We know you're looking for Emmitt Otterton, Officer Hopps." he nodded politely to her. "Boss ain't got nothing to do with the disappearance, just to be clear. Master Otterton was a trusted and much valued member of the family."

Raymond finished. "But he _can_ tell you where to look next." the little smile turned shrewd. It looked strange on the tough-looking bear. "And if you come to the house tonight, Master Wilde, he will tell your friend here everything he knows."

* * *

ANs:

So, that took a lot longer than expected. Sorry, didn't have any spare time for the last two weeks. Next one will be much faster. Please give me your thoughts.

To be clear, I am making Nick 32 years old in this story, with Judy being 25. I know the usual canon for her is 24, but I decided that our bunny had her 25th birthday at the Police Academy.

Huge thanks to Zero1606, 07wolfe, TheSinfulDragonEmperor and Magus Neon for the reviews. And everyone who read it, too!


	4. Chapter 4 - The Darker Side

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

"Hello!" – normal speech

 _"_ _Italic on the whole sentence."_ – thoughts

 _Italic on individual words –_ emphasis

* * *

 **The Darker Side**

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"The Boss will be with you in a moment, Master Wilde, Officer Hopps." Raymond told them, as they were led inside Mr. Big's study. "He has some last-minute matters to settle regarding the party. Please, make yourselves comfortable."

Kevin gave him a wink. "You know were the liquor cabinet is, sir."

And they left.

The study was exactly as he remembered it. It had the same somber decoration. The same low bookcase, the large stone fireplace (which, as far as he knew, had never been lit), the rickety old lampshade, even the aforementioned wooden cabinet, filled with rare and very expensive spirits. The same finely-crafted mahogany desk dominated the center of the room, and it still had that old relic of a phone sitting on top of it. It almost seemed as if the last seven years had never happened, as if the snow that covered everything but the desk and the chair behind it had not been disturbed in all that time.

This room was an exercise in duality. It was a place for relaxed meetings among the Family, but also the place where Mr. Big conducted serious business with partners and adversaries alike. And, occasionally, the place where he terminated those relationships in a very permanent fashion. His eyes were draw to the innocent-looking carpet in front of the desk. The same carpet upon where ZPD officer Judy Hopps now stood, with arms crossed and ears up, as her keen detective eyes scrutinized the room.

He stifled a groan. Any moment now the questions would begin, he was sure of it. The ride had been uncomfortable enough, with him brooding over old memories and Carrots siting all stiff at his side, never breaking her vigilant gaze from the polar bears. He figured their presence had been the only reason his interrogation was delayed for so long.

The rabbit's gaze took in all the details. She stomped a foot on the carpet a few times and frowned at the faintly hollow sound. She could probably hear the cold running water beneath it, just like he could. Once she was satisfied with her examination of the study, she turned to him. He saw worry on her face and guessed she had reached the end of her patience, ready to start inquiring about exactly how he was connected to a mafia boss.

"You alright?" she asked him in a concerned voice.

Nick blinked once, then twice. That had not been the question he had expected.

"Huh?"

Hopps took a quick glance at the door, making sure they were not about to be disturbed. "It's just…" she started again, even more worried now. "You're looking so down since we got into that car. Those bears seemed to really respect you, so I thought…" she bit the bottom of her mouth with those big teeth of hers. "Are you in trouble with Mr. Big? Because it was never my intention to put you in danger, I swear."

The fox needed a few moments to process that. "Wait, you're worried about _me_?!"

The nod she gave him was all seriousness. " _Something's_ eating at you, don't try to deny it. You don't need to stay here, Wilde."

Nick could not decide whether to be touched that she cared about his wellbeing at all, or to grunt at how she still did not seem to understand the situation. It was _her_ fault he had been roped into this 'visit'. The cunning old bastard had assumed (correctly) that the bunny would jump at the opportunity to continue her investigation, and made it clear through Kevin and Raymond that her continued health would be up to the fox.

He really did not need an iced bunny on his conscience. It was already tainted enough.

He settled for a chuckle. "Bit late for that, eh Carrots?" he rested his back on one of the cold walls, letting the smirk she was familiar with play on his muzzle. "Unless you want to see me jumping out the window…" he trailed off.

The rabbit looked intently at him. "We will figure something out. Look, I know your presence here is supposed to be some sort of insurance for my safety, ok? But I can take care of myself, promise."

He blinked, again. So she _did_ get it.

Smart bunny.

She gestured towards the door Raymond and Kevin had left through. "With how they treated you, I assumed you would be fine. Was I wrong? I want to find Mr. Otterton, but I won't have you harmed or… or worse, to see it happen."

He shook his head slowly. "Ooookay… I must've walked into another dimension or something. Is this the same rabbit who has threatened me with arrests every time we met?"

"Shush it, fox!" she gave a cute little huff. "You're still a hustler, and a little jail time might do you some good." her eyes softened, and the worry was back. "Doesn't mean I want to see you beaten up and thrown into a ditch or something."

He managed not to let out a humorous scoff. She was smart, but still very naïve if she did not know what usually happened inside prisons.

"No need to worry." he tried to assuage her concern. "I will be perfectly safe here."

"But you seem…"

He sighed and left his place at the wall. "I ain't fearing for my pelt, Carrots." he walked to the fireplace, stopping below the framed photos on the mantelpiece. "Honestly, I'm much more worried about yours." he told her distractedly. He stared at the picture of an ancient, but elegant, lady shrew at the top of the wall.

 _"_ _So you're finally resting now, Mrs. Norris."_ he thought with regret. He remembered the strict but fair grandmother, and they had some really nice conversations over a hot mug of coffee. She had a very sharp mind and a will of iron, but had been frail of body and sickly for the whole time he lived at the mansion. That did not stop the dedicated matron from making dinner for her family every chance she got, however.

It was a tremendous shame she had not lived to see her great-grandchildren.

Hopps' soft voice broke the fox from his reverie. She was standing next to him. "Thank you."

He blinked, then glanced down at her. "Whatever for?"

"For helping me find Otterton. For sticking up for me back at the parking lot. Friends or no, I know you were threatening those bears to let me leave." she told him earnestly. "And you came here, even when it's obvious as heck you didn't want to. I am a bunny cop, and you are a con-fox. You got no reasons to help me, Wilde, but you still do. So… thank you for giving a damn, I guess is what I'm trying to say." her ears were down, and those purple eyes were filled with honest gratitude. "I… I misjudged you."

Nick kept his nonchalant face, but he was secretly at a loss for words. He couldn't remember the last time a mammal that was not Priscilla or Finnick (in his own manly, gruff way) had given him a heartfelt thanks like that. Not in over half a decade.

 _"_ _You're too good for this city, bunny."_ he thought, not for the first time.

He decided a bit of honesty would not hurt. He put his paws in his pockets and relaxed against the fireplace. "Yeah, I misjudged you too, Fluff. You're not half-bad… for a little hick." he joked.

She crossed her arms and gave him that confident smirk of hers. "You ain't that much worse yourself, for an overgrown townie."

For a few moments they both stood there with their little smiles, a sense of understanding and a comfortable silence filling the otherwise cold and gloomy room.

"But what _is_ your history with this crime boss, anyway?" the doe asked as she also looked at the frames above the mantelpiece, and that made her miss the tiny wince that slipped through his face. She took a closer look at the photos, face frowning in confusion, and pointed at them. "And what is it with all the shrews?"

"Well, you see…"

Both of them straightened up when they heard heavy, _very_ heavy, footsteps approaching the second door in the room. Nick took a deeper-than-usual breath and walked back to stand in front of the desk, Hopps following close behind.

Mr. Big had arrived.

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She was in the process of sorting the absolute mess her boss dared to call 'finished paperwork'. She restrained the urge to go and strangle the large bastard when she found yet another report from the Office of Transportation in the folder belonging to the Department of Mammal Health.

Unsigned, of course, because that was just _typical._

She put the report together with the others she would need to take back for him to sign, a pile that was growing larger by the minute. She was in the middle of wondering just how she would manage to finish her own paperwork in time (it looked like another sleepless night for her), when there was a soft 'ping' as her phone received a message. Not the larger smartphone she used for work and private matters alike, no. Her _other_ one.

The phone only one other mammal knew the number of. The same mammal who had given it to her in the first place.

The message was a simple and direct one, as all his messages were. _We found the runaway jaguar. He is a danger to the Flock and to the future of the city. He must be dealt with as quickly as possible._

It was followed by a name and an address. She immediately called the Chemist.

The line rang many times before the often distracted mammal on the other side picked up. "Big Sister?" came the ram's slurry voice.

"Our benefactor has found the jaguar." she informed him crisply. 'The jaguar _you_ let escape', it was what they both knew. "Renato Manchas. He's hiding out in the Rainforest, 339 Vine Walkway. You know what to do."

There was the sound of rustling as the Chemist started to gather his equipment. "Should I wait until the target is near the public?" he asked. "The formula is perfected. There's no more reason to hold back, Sister."

She considered the idea for a moment. All their first targets had been 'trial-runs'; secluded tests meant to attest the effectiveness of their new weapon. The real plan was to strike their foes in places isolated enough to not have any other mammals witness the transformation, but close enough to a busy area that they would later be seen… and felt. They had been about to start, when their benefactor informed them about the otter, and the danger he might pose to the Flock. So she had the Chemist take care of the problem, only for the ram to leave yet another loose end.

"No. Get rid of the jaguar. We can start selecting higher-profile targets once we make sure there are no more witnesses."

"You said it, Sister." the ram agreed in his usual apathetic way.

"One other thing." she warned him. "Take the Engineer along to support you. We know who this jaguar works for and where he is. He might have protection."

She heard the distinctive sound of a tranquilizer rifle being disassembled. "I get to him, and that problem will take care of itself." he remarked flatly.

"Just in case, brother." she told him in her 'this is an order' voice. And she added for good measure. "We don't want any more _mishaps_ happening, yes?"

There was a long moment of silence, before the Flock's Chemist answered indifferently. "Understood, Big Sister."

"Good."

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0000000

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Her mind screeched to a halt when the monstrous polar bear she had assumed to be the infamous Mr. Big opened his paws to reveal the elegantly dressed, old artic shrew sitting in a miniature chair. His black tux was decorated with a classic red flower at the breast. His eyebrows where the thickest she had ever seen, and they were carefully combed. He was so small, his feet barely came to the edge of his seat. He looked at them with the calm and assured air of someone with nothing to fear.

 _"_ _Wait, what?!"_ was the very intelligent thought her mind supplied to her.

Aloud, she said even more intelligently. "Eh?"

Her fox partner took a step forward. "Mr. Big, sir." he greeted simply. His voice was respectful, and even while she was busy trying to reboot her brain, she could hear the slight trace of warmth on it.

The little boar opened his arms, a calm smile gracing his snout. "My child…" his voice was wheezy, but welcoming. "…it warms this old heart to see you return to my house. It has not been the same without you."

Her companion hesitated for a second, before moving forward and trading light kisses on the cheeks with the old shrew.

 _"_ _The shrew is Mr. Big!"_ Judy's brain finally arrived at the most logical conclusion. Right before it screamed in astonishment. _"Wait, the SHREW is Mr. Big?!"_

When he got back beside her, Wilde spoke again. "It _is_ good to see you, sir." he hesitated for another moment, before sighing. "But I am sorry if I can't honestly say I enjoy being back here."

The little guy deflated, his smile turning into a regretful frown. He took a tired breath of his own. "I understand, child. There is no need for apologies. We all have demons that are too strong to overcome." he gestured kindly to the fox. "But you are of the Family, Nicky. I do hope you remember that. And for as long as I am the Head of this house, you'll always have a place inside my halls. Your troubles are my troubles, and your enemies are my enemies."

The way his voice darkened when he spoke about enemies, his little snout opening to reveal tiny but vicious-looking teeth, was the first sign the doe had that this slip of a mammal might just be someone others should tread lightly around.

The humongous bear behind him also inclined his head minutely, as if agreeing.

Wilde nodded seriously. "I remember, sir, and I thank you." then he put his paws in his pockets and the solemn visage shattered under a grumpy scowl. "But do you _need_ to keep sticking your damned watchers on me, old boar?"

The outright petulant tone made the rabbit snap a worried look at the shrew, wondering how he would take such blatant disrespect. Her body tensed, ready for action.

Mr. Big just smiled indulgently. Even the bear snorted in what almost sounded like amusement. "It is my duty to watch over my Family, you know that." then his voice turned disapproving, though it came off more as fatherly concern. "And I have followed some of your business ventures." the old boss clicked his tongue. "I cannot say I favor them. You're a talented young Predator, Nicky, and yet you waste your best years away with such fruitless endeavors. A mammal must always strive to build a legacy for his name, but you would rather see your own tarnished or forgotten."

Wilde was not offended by the rebuke, but neither did he seemed concerned. "I'm afraid my 'talents' would not build the kind of legacy I would be proud of anyway, sir." he shrugged. "And I earn enough to pay the bills."

The boar made a sharp chopping gesture with his tiny paw, the big green stone of one of his rings glinting with a cold light. "Nonsense, young mammal!" he admonished the fox, firmly. "We've talked about this years ago. If you truly wished to, you could succeed at any craft you wanted. You lack in neither intelligence nor resources, Nicky. You need only apply yourself."

The bear nodded slowly again, like a silent white-furred colossus.

"Yes, sir. I'll think about it." the fox agreed in slight exasperation. "But what is this about Fru-Fru getting herself hooked up?"

It was obviously a cop-out, but the shrew smiled again. "Ah, yes. My daughter has certainly taken her time in selecting a suitable life-partner. But I find myself content with her choice, regardless." he crossed his paws over his protruding belly. "Which, of course, takes us to the reason you accepted my invitation here after all these years."

Finally, after being ignored by everyone in the room for so long, Judy found herself the center of all attention. Even hidden away behind those bushy eyebrows, she could feel Mr. Big's eyes drilling into her. It made her shiver just a bit.

"Young Miss Hopps, I welcome you into this house." he told her formally. "It is rare I receive an officer of the law inside my halls, but know that any friend of Nicky is an honored guest in here." suddenly, there was a subtle but undeniable warning behind his words. He straightened, supporting himself on the armrests. "Respect the common rules of cordiality while you remain with us and you have my word of honor, child, that you shall be treated in kind."

The rabbit steeled herself, posture confident and arms behind her back. "Thank you, sir. I will." no reason to make trouble, even if the boar in front of her was supposed to be the greatest criminal in the district. But she would not be all meek and submissive, either. "Please, sir, your… ahhh, 'employees' told us you knew where to look for Emmitt Otterton?"

Mr. Big seemed to approve of her firm stance. He nodded, relaxing back on his seat. "Not where to find him, I apologize. But I believe we can shed some light as to why he disappeared, as well as point you to where you could learn more."

She took an eager step forward, but reminded herself to not come too close. "Sir, that would be helpful beyond words! His family is so worried about him!"

"We, too, are concerned for Otterton's safety. He is much liked by the Family." before she could ask him more, however, he put a paw up. "Nevertheless, Nicky came here to attend my daughter's wedding. Alas, the vows have already been said and the ceremony itself has ended, but the reception is still underway. You will both come upstairs with me and partake from my hospitality. Enjoy yourselves for an hour or two, youngsters, and then we shall discuss Otterton."

She started to protest, but Wilde's gentle arm around her shoulders stopped her cold.

"Why, we would love to celebrate with you and your guests, sir!" he answered brightly. "Wouldn't we, Carrots?"

His sudden invasion of her personal space had surprised her, but she found she was not too bothered by it. And the look he gave her was clear enough.

'Don't push your luck, Officer.' those green eyes warned.

She sighed. "Yes, sir. I would be delighted." she said in resignation.

"Excellent!" the boar clapped his paws with surprising vigor. "Now, the dance should be finished by…"

There was a heavy knock on the door, which opened to reveal another suit-wearing polar bear. This one was much smaller than the one that carried Mr. Big, but he also had a shrew resting carefully on his open paw.

She was a young sow, with an elaborate hairdo and wearing a lovely white wedding dress. The bear brought her to the desk.

"Daddy, why did you scurry away after our dance?" she demanded with paws at her hips. She was so focused on her father that she did not even register the grinning fox with an arm around a curious bunny just a few steps away. "You _better_ not be icing anyo…"

"Hey Shortstuff, looking good! No wonder you have young and successful boars tripping over themselves to marry you."

The sow jumped in surprise at the con's voice, then her eyes zeroed into the russet-colored vulpine. She was stunned silent for about five seconds, before she all but flew from the desk to latch onto Wilde's neck.

"FOXY!"

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"Oh thank you, daddy! Thank you for this wonderful present!" the newlywed kept saying while she kissed her father repeatedly above Koslov's paws. The old boar tried to appear dignified, but Nick knew he basked in the affection. Mammals could say whatever they wanted about Mr. Big, but no-one could deny he loved Fru Fru with all his heart. Nick knew the only reason the shrew was tolerating a cop's presence inside his house was to see his precious daughter smile.

They were all walking the dim corridors of the mansion in the direction of the courtyard. Even from here, he could clearly hear the music playing outside.

"I thought you were never going to pry her away from you." Carrots quipped quietly from his side, stifling a giggle.

He shot back just as softly. "Yeah, you keep laughing, rabbit. I can tell she already likes you. Soon, it will be you enduring those sharp little claws on your pelt." despite his words, there was a clear fondness there.

And it was true about Fru Fru taking an instant liking to the cop. All it took was the doe complimenting her hair and dress, and that she appeared to be friends with him.

Said doe smirked, joking along. "Well, I am a proper nice bunny, so that's just natural. She liking _your_ sleazy self is what I call mystifying."

He looked sideways at his small companion, amused. "Careful, Fluff, or I might just turn my irresistible charm on _you_."

"I would like to see your try, fox." she shook her head, still smiling. "But seriously, what's the thing between you two? She treats you like a big brother." she asked him, long ears raised in curiosity.

Nick sighed. "You know, in many ways I was. It's tough being the single daughter of a rich and powerful mammal with a lot of enemies. Shortstuff used to live a very sheltered life, with little but grim-looking bears for company. Her mother passed away when she was very young and even if Mr. Big loves her dearly, he's a busy boar." he tilted his head, smelling the multitude of mammals concentrated nearby. He started cataloguing their scents, ready to match them to faces. "So then comes along a handsome and witty fox. It was just natural she would be interested."

Carrots elbowed him in the arm. "Oh, you're full of it, Slick!"

He smiled. "All right, but the argument stands. I was novelty around here, and willing to indulge her questions. Even a mole could tell she was lonely, so I always tried to spend some of my free time keeping her company. Telling her jokes and stories. Even escorted her around Zootopia sometimes, though mostly to and from Little Rodentia. She's kind of a shopping addict."

"Yeah, she looks the type." the bunny was looking at him strangely.

He nodded. "That she does. And she could be downright ditzy most of the time, guess that hasn't changed. But she's still Mr. Big's daughter, make no mistake. There's a cunning mind beneath that thousand-bucks hair." he told her with pride. "I'm glad she's getting married to what seems like a nice guy. She deserves to be surrounded by good mammals." he noticed Hopps was _still_ looking at him as if she was seeing him for the first time. "What?"

"Oh, nothing." she answered mysteriously, a slight smile on her face.

He could not ask anything else, because they had arrived at the party. Mr. Big's moderately-sized courtyard was full of light. Over a hundred soft lanterns cast gentle hues over the temporary gazebo that had been raised in the center of the area, covered in white fabrics. A large round table sat beneath it, a self-contained and tastefully decorated party floor for shrew-sized mammals. Dozens of them were currently enjoying themselves, talking at the little tables or dancing to the sound of the animated old-world music. A few of Mr. Big's guards stood around, keeping a stoic watch over the guests.

Looks like the party was in full swing. That made him remember he was hungry, only having had breakfast with Finnick very early in the day. Unfortunately, it seemed all they had was shrew-sized plates and silverware, and he would not suffer the indignity of using either.

He was not _that_ desperate for cake, thank you.

In very short order, two larger chairs had been brought for the fox and bunny. They were seated at the side of the 'party floor' where a longer table had been reserved for Mr. Big and his most favored business associates. All of them looked strangely at the pair, especially the rabbit in a cop outfit, but a few words from the old boar were enough to reassure them. It also helped that some recognized Nick. They might not know exactly what the fox did for their Boss, but they remembered he was a very trusted employee.

Fru Fru wasted no time in introducing her brand new husband, in that usual overexcited fashion of hers that could be so irritating but also endearing. The young boar greeted them jovially, but there was an air of apprehension about him when he extended his tiny paw for the fox to shake. His wife had likely told him some stories.

Nick's returning smile, carefully measured to show the full length of his sharp fangs, probably did not help. His congratulations also had the poor guy sweating under his fur. "That's a very special young lady you got there, pal. She can be a pawful, but she deserves nothing but the best. You would do well to provide it, or you might find that your life is much less bright without such a fantastic sow in it."

Mr. Big gave Nick an approving nod, while his daughter flushed red at the compliments.

The groom caught his implied message, and nodded nervously. "Yes, sir! I know that, sir!" then he looked at his new wife, blushed as well, and spoke with much more confidence. "I do love her, sir. I've vowed to provide and care for her every day of my life, and that's an oath I intend to keep."

"Oh, Fero!" the sow gushed happily, throwing herself at him.

Nick nodded at the determination in the younger mammal's eyes. "Good." then he looked to the side and noticed that Carrots was giving him that strange smile again. It was starting to freak him out a little.

 _"_ _Well, at least she's relaxing."_ he considered. The rabbit seemed resigned to wait for a while before getting her answers, and also more comfortable being around a crime boss then he would expect. She was quick to adapt, that was for sure.

It probably helped that she was a fearless little thing.

For the next hour, they talked. Some of it was spent with Fru Fru grilling him for details about his life. Fortunately, she was far less interested in his professional dealings than she was in his personal life (she asked him at least four times if he was seeing anyone, as if he might somehow slip and say yes), and was also looking for any funny anecdotes. He had plenty of those. Finnick's repeated attempts to score himself a hot vixen had a tendency to turn into train wrecks very quickly, and his drunken binges were the stuff of legend. In both cases, Nick was the one that had to rescue the grumpy fennec. Even Carrots could not help but laugh herself silly a couple of times, and he felt particularly proud of those.

They paused for a round of photos. Many were taken from the star couple and their families. Fru Fru insisted on taking some shots with Nick, both alone and together with her father. He agreed easily, but subtly convinced her not to do the same thing with Carrots.

The bunny really did not need physical evidence of being all chummy with a known crime boss. She seemed to understand that, too, and gave him a grateful nod. However, no one could convince Fru Fru that Nick and Judy should not take a picture _together_ , no shrews or bears around. She was pretty adamant about it.

"It's _my_ wedding, Foxy!" she stomped her foot, pouting cutely, paws closed into fists at her sides. "If I can't have my picture with Judy, I'll have her take one with you so I can remember she was here!"

He looked at his fluffy partner, letting her make the call. The doe looked back at him for a long moment, before smiling slightly. "Yeah, sure. I don't mind."

The newlywed squeaked in excitement, and they soon found themselves posing for the shrew with the old-style camera. Never one to miss a joke, Nick put one arm on the top of the bunny's head, smiling serenely while he used her as a support. Instead of throwing him off, as he had expected, she instead just crossed her arms and gave her own exasperated little grin.

And after that first shot was taken, she surprised the hell out of him by hugging him tightly around the waist, carefully disguising her vengeful smirk into a beatific smile. Before he could recover from his shock, the camera flashed again, capturing his dumbfounded and graceless face for all eternity.

Fru Fru laughed in delight, and even Mr. Big gave him a toothy smirk. He turned back to Carrots

"Evil bunny." he told her, but grinned.

"You asked for it, dumb fox." she smiled back, very pleased with herself.

They got back to their seats, and he found himself eyeing the waiters with little slices of white cake circling around.

Nope, still not that desperate.

This time, Fru Fru turned her attention from the fox, focusing instead on the bunny. Nick listened with interest while Carrots told a little about her childhood at the farm, and about all the trials she had to overcome in order to achieve her life-dream of joining the force. But it did not take long for that conversation to degenerate into your typical 'girl-talk', and the fox turned instead to a discussion with Mr. Big and Fero. The younger boar finally relaxed around him while they talked about commerce, and both of them came out of it impressed with each other's knowledge and savvy. Raymond had not been kidding about the guy's talent on the field.

"You like Gazelle, too?!" Fru Fru's loud exclamation managed to grab his attention. Seemed like their talk had turned to music. "She is like… the best!"

"I know, right?!" Carrots agreed, just as excited. It astonished him that she could be such a badass cop at one minute, and a perfectly girly doe at the other.

Come to think of it, she reminded him a little of Sensei...

The bunny kept going. "Her latest single, 'Try Everything'? I love it! It represents me so much! I must've listened to it for two hours straight on my trip here to Zootopia."

"Which other genres do you like?" the sow asked.

"Oh, I'm pretty eclectic, really. I like almost everything, from The Beagles, to Kanine West, to Hyena Gomez." she put a finger to her mouth. "Can't handle the really slow stuff, though. Guess I'm just too active."

Fru Fru nodded knowingly. "Hu, hu. I got you." then she turned to him, and a smirk played on her snout. "Foxy here is just booooring. He only likes ancient stuff. I must have learned every single lyric from the Outlaws, he listened to them so much. That's like… prehistoric."

"Hey! You show some respect for the manly classics, young lady!"

"You're _old_ , Foxy." she put her tongue out to him.

"I prefer the term 'finely matured', thank you." he said, buffing his claws. He would have pointed out that she was only a couple of years younger, but he knew better than to comment on a female's age.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Carrots interrupted them. She pointed an accusing finger at him. "The Outlaws?! You are a fan of _country_ rock, and _I_ am the bumpkin?!"

He shrugged. "And rock 'n' roll, and blues, and jazz… you know, _good_ music. Not this overly-synthetic pop crap you youngsters are so hooked on these days."

The doe shook her head, laughing. "You're a damn hypocrite, fox."

"Hardly. You guys had to do _something_ right, yeah?"

"Like putting the food on your ungrateful tables?"

"Something _important_ , Carrots."

They grinned at each other. He was surprised by how much fun this trip was proving to be. The dark memories were still there, always on the edge of his thoughts. But the good ones brought by Fru Fru, and the constant amusement that was this bunny cop in front of him, helped to keep them at bay.

The talk about food also reminded him of cake.

 _"_ _Oh, darn it! I_ am _that desperate now."_

At the same moment he signaled the waiter in the corner, Mr. Big finished talking with one of his associates, and turned to them. "Nicky, Officer Hopps, I believe you've fulfilled your end of our deal. Now, it's time for me to honor mine."

That made his partner snap to attention, going instantly from 'cheerful doe' to 'super-detective'. Her ears went up, her purple gaze became razor-sharp, and she focused all of her attention on the old shrew. Nick left them to it, as the rabbit was more than capable enough. He was still trying to keep himself detached from the case, the better to walk away if things got too messy. He was only helping Carrots to keep her from killing herself, he did not care for any otters.

Nope, not at all.

The waiter brought him the cakes and he took one plate carefully, barely able to hold the thing with the tips of his claws. He eyed it for a moment, shrugged, and went to chuck the whole thing down his muzzle.

"Foxy…" came the firm warning. He turned to see Fru Fru looking at him in displeasure.

"What?"

She huffed. "What are you, some uncouth savage?" she grabbed a fork and extended it to him.

He looked from the little cake half-way to his muzzle, to the even tinier piece of flatware on the sow's paw. "You're kidding, right?"

All she did was narrow her eyes and shake the fork at him.

He thought about protesting, but then remembered this was _Shortstuff_ he was dealing with. "Fine." he grumbled, and took the fork. He looked at both items with some skepticism, before scoffing lightly and _very_ carefully cutting a piece of the cake, under the sow's watchful eyes. Then he finally took a taste…

…and promptly told his pride to go screw itself. This was good stuff!

As he happily demolished his cake, he had nothing else to do but listen to the discussion between Carrots and Mr. Big.

"Wait. Otterton _attacked_ your driver?" the rabbit exclaimed.

"Otterton." the old boar confirmed with a nod. "Manchas said he went crazy, like a mammal possessed. And he has the scars to prove it. Otterton disappeared into the night, and none of my contacts has reported any sight of him."

The cop was thinking furiously. "That would explain the size of the claw marks in your car. And the lingering blood Wilde smelled." then she shook her head. "But… Mr. Otterton is a peaceful, sweet little otter. It doesn't make sense."

Nick spoke softly. "We are all still animals, Carrots. I've told you that before."

She turned to him, and the doubt was evident in her eyes. She still had a lot to learn.

His old Boss agreed. "Nicky tells the truth, my child. Whatever happened to make Otterton act so irrationally, or what he wished to discuss with me, we can only guess. If you want to learn more, you'll need to talk with Manchas. I confess to not taking the full story out of him." the boar sighed. "The incident left him scared half to death. I was barely able to learn what little I've shared with you. He has been a loyal employee for many years now, so I allowed him some time to recover from the ordeal in a place he would feel safe."

The bunny nodded, determined now that she had another lead. "Where can we find him?"

At that moment, however, Fru Fru jumped out of nowhere and in front of the cop, taking her paw in a tiny, but firm, grip. "Judy, I need your help! I've still not finished packing the bags for my honeymoon! I need someone to help me decide!"

The rabbit blinked, then tried to excuse herself. "Ah… sorry, Fru Fru, but this is really important. Can't any of your other friends…"

"Those shrews wouldn't know fashion if it clawed at their eyes!" the sow interrupted, pouting outrageously. "I need a different perspective, like yours!"

The larger female turned to him for help, and he told her promptly. "That's the Pout of Doom, Carrots. You ain't getting out of that one. How 'bout you go with Fru Fru, and I'll note down Manchas' location and the details with Mr. Big, okay?" the old boar nodded his agreement.

The doe looked to the sow's imploring face, and took only a second to cave. "All right…" she sighed in defeat.

"Yay! Come on!" Fru Fru jumped up into the bunny's shoulder.

"We will be at my study when you're done." the crime boss told them, as the pair walked away from the party table.

Before he left, Nick took a full platter of cake slices.

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Judy tried to keep from snickering at the absolutely furious pace of Fru Fru's gossip. They had been alone for only a few minutes, but already the little shrew had revealed the juicy details of no less than four relationships.

Who knew a bunch of little mammals could be so scandalous?

In fact, this whole evening had been completely unexpected. Here she was, a cop on a case, attending the wedding of the heir to a crime boss, in the company of a fox hustler.

A part of her felt guilty, but she was a practical doe. There was little she could have done to pressure Mr. Big into telling them the info on Otterton sooner. And his daughter was just a delightful little creature. Really, a mammal who loved someone else as strongly as Mr. Big loved his daughter could not be that bad. Could he?

As for Wilde, well… 'radically' would be a good way of describing how her opinion of him had changed in just a couple of hours. She had really misjudged that fox.

She and Fru Fru were in the sow's room. More accurately, they were in the room of the mansion where her own miniature house had been installed. It was a lovely pink and lavender building (to complement the white and periwinkle walls of the room itself), complete with its own tiny courtyard and garden. The bunny watched Fru Fru from outside one of the little windows, as she presented article after article of clothing to her from a seemingly endless supply.

"This one?" she asked, putting up a light green evening dress.

"It looks adorable." the bunny nodded.

"Oh, thank you." she smiled. And then she gushed with paws beneath her snout. "You know what else looked adorable? You and Foxy together!" she twirled around, using the clothing as a make-shift dancing partner. "You talked so naturally, it's like you've known each other for years!" she stopped and shot the rabbit a sly grin. "Are you _sure_ you guys are not an item?"

Judy huffed in good humor. What was it with the mammals of this city that they were so quick to assume she was in an interspecies romance? With a Predator, even! Sure, it was not unheard of and she had nothing against it personally, but still…

"You know," she suddenly thought of something, "you are the second female friend of Wilde's that has said that. Can I expect a pattern here?" she asked, only half-joking.

"Well…" Fru Fru dragged the word out, still looking at her slyly. "I guess Foxy tends to surround himself with very smart and perceptive girls. I mean, look at yourself!" she giggled, then whispered conspiratorially. "I think he's trying to make up for his own deficiencies."

They both laughed.

"But seriously, dear, Foxy is a nice catch. Why, if I didn't have to ensure the survival of the family line, I might've gone after him myself!"

Judy frowned. Her morals were instantly riled up. "Wait, you're marrying another shrew just because of that?"

"Oh?! No, no, you silly!" the sow waved a dainty paw. "Daddy isn't pressuring me to do anything, though I know he wishes to keep the family legacy." she turned serious, and it was the first time the entire night that Judy saw anything but a happy expression on Fru Fru's face. She looked far from ditzy now. "And you know what? I agree. Blood is important, _especially_ in this family. Daddy's associates are all pretty old-fashioned. They would question any heir that was not a true Big."

"But that's…" the doe tried to protest, but was interrupted.

"Oh, pish! Stop worrying." she gave a philosophical shrug. "We all have responsibilities, it's no use fretting about them. And besides, Fero is a good boar and he makes me smile a lot, too. We are also far more compatible in… hem hem, _other_ areas _."_

She blushed furiously, and the rabbit gave an embarrassed laugh herself.

"Still think you should go after Foxy, though. I mean, look at that!"

She pointed at one of the photos above her fireplace. The room's, not her little house's. Judy frowned, not having paid particular attention to the frames. There were a lot of shrews, naturally, but one photo in particular set itself apart.

It showed the image of a 20yish red fox wearing a slick dark-grey suit with a matching tie and a rich burgundy dress shirt. He stood tall, posture confident. The suit's top was off, swung casually over the fox's shoulder by a paw, the other inside his pocket. The eyes were hidden by a pair of black shades, and there was a slight smile on his face.

The doe blinked in astonishment at seeing the picture. She slowly took it from the mantelpiece and looked from it to Fru Fru. _"This_ is Wilde?!"

She nodded. "Yep! Really knows how to clean up when he wants to, huh?"

She gave a snort but was soon contemplative again, looking at the photo. After a few seconds, she shook her head. "Boy, he sure changed a lot over the years. First, he was a little punk." she gave a tap to the frame in her paw. "Then he actually looked like a serious grown-up at some point." finally, she waved at the door leading out of the room him. "And now he seems like a lazy bachelor whose house is probably a dump."

The shrew giggled.

"This is from the time he worked with your dad?" she asked distractedly, giving the professional-looking vulpine in the picture another appraising look.

"That's right." the sow confirmed. She was now putting all her chosen clothes in traveling cases. Five of them. A minute passed where both mammals were lost in their own thoughts. Eventually, Fru Fru broke the silence. Her voice was now gloomy. "It was so sad when he left us. But I understood. After how that last Hunt went, I think I'd have done the same."

That word crashed through the rabbit's mind, bringing her full attention to the shrew. "Hunt?"

She was still going through her stuff, not even looking at Judy. "Yeah. Foxy was Zootopia's best Hunter. There wasn't a single mammal lowlife that he couldn't take down. None of the others came even close to him." she said with pride.

Judy went deathly still, her sharp mind finally making the dreadful connection it had avoided all night. A knot, tight and painful, started to form deep inside her stomach. "Take down?" she was surprised her voice managed to stay cool. "You mean, capture?"

"Sure, sometimes." the little sow shrugged. "Daddy likes to look the scum in the eyes before icing them." the vicious little smirk on that usually cheerful face was disturbing to see, and left no doubt this truly was Mr. Big's daughter. "But Foxy would usually just get rid of them himself. No need to bring trash into the house, right?"

The knot turned into an icy spike, digging deep into her gut and sending bile up her throat. The smiling face in the picture she held with her now trembling paw seemed to mock her.

"Right." she finally said, though one could be forgiven for thinking a robot had answered.

"Okay, I'm all done." the sow exclaimed cheerfully. "The boys will take care of it now. We should go back to daddy's study."

"Yes, we should." the cop agreed, voice still tight and mechanical.

She allowed the shrew to climb up to her shoulder, and they walked back to Mr. Big's private office. Like before, Fru Fru chatted all the way there, but she was no longer listening. They arrived at the door and the bear standing guard bowed to them and let them in.

"…in less than a week, Nicky. Any line of business you want. All legitimate, and no strings attached." Mr. Big was saying.

"I'll consider the offer, sir." the familiar voice answered.

There he was, standing in front of the study's desk with that same relaxed stance and half-lidded eyes, easy smile playing at his muzzle. He looked just as he had twenty minutes ago.

And yet, she now saw someone else entirely.

"There you are, Carrots! You ready to… go?" the moment his eyes fell upon the bunny, the smile vanished. They stared at each other for a second, before the fox took a deep and wary breath, eyes closing for a moment.

He turned to the crime boss. "Mr. Big, I thank you very much for your hospitality and your help." he bowed slightly. The shrew just waved him off in a 'don't think about it' gesture. Wilde kept talking. "Now, sir, can we please be excused for a moment? I think my partner and I need to have a discussion."

The boar also looked at her, and nodded after a few moments. "Indeed, you do. Please, use this room for as long as you need." with another gesture, Koslov took his boss into his paws, before doing the same with Fru Fru. She waved happily at them both.

"Bye, Foxy! Please come back to visit soon. And you too, Judy! It was so nice to meet you!"

Wilde grinned at her, though it was a little strained. "I'll try, Shorstuff. You take care now. Don't do anything I would."

Judy's paws twitched at that statement, but she managed a nod and a fixed smile. With a last round of waves, they were left alone inside the cold study.

No one heard the newly minted wife whispering under her breath, after the door closed.

"Good luck, Foxy."

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The non-descript yellow van was parked at the exit of one of the many abandoned tunnels of the massive Zootopia Subway System. Reclined against the closed door, the Chemist waited for his partner. His trusty sniper rifle was safely collapsed inside its traveling case, a satchel slung over his chest held all his many vials and flasks, and he had traded his preferred yellow pants and jacket for a darker outfit appropriate for the mission.

After a few more minutes, another ram emerged from the dark tunnel. He too wore clothes that would allow him to blend more easily with the night. However, the round safety goggles over his eyes shone with a faint red light, and he also had a large belt full of various tools, along with a backpack. Beneath one arm, he carried a sleek-looking machine.

"About time, Engineer." the Chemist told him in his usual bored tone.

His partner's voice, on the other paw, was gravely but cheerful. "Sorry, brudda. Had to give good ol' Rackety here some love." he tapped the machine in his arm fondly. "Chekin' if all them parts are nice and ready. He'll have our backs inside that gang zone."

He suppressed a scoff with the ease of long practice, he would never understand why the other ram treated that machine as if it was somehow alive, but a second later the feeling of annoyance was already gone. Feelings never lasted long with the Chemist.

Still, the Engineer's beloved flying contraption would be fundamental in helping them reach their target unseen, along with providing some additional back-up if things turned hot. Despite his earlier protest when Big Sister ordered him to bring the tech-savvy ram along (he never liked to introduce more variables into his experiments if he could help it), he recognized this mission would be difficult to accomplish by himself, due to the target's location.

"Let's go." he opened the van's side door and went inside, telling their driver to gear up. The other ram quickly joined him.

"Right behind you, brudda."

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"You _killed_ other mammals?! _That's_ what you did during those nine years?! You made hits for Mr. Big?!"

He cringed. Not so much at the words but at the tone of absolute _betrayal_ that filled the bunny's voice. Her little body trembled with fury, and her eyes flashed with revulsion. It all tugged at his chest with a painful strength that was really surprising, because she was hardly the first mammal to look that way at him and it should not have _mattered_ so much.

But it did.

He kept his own voice flat, and his disinterested eyes on the lampshade at the corner of the study. "You knew Mr. Big was a crime boss, Carrots. You must have seen the movies." as was his wont, he buried uncomfortable feelings under a shield of sarcasm. "What the hell did you think that involved? Sunshine and rainbows?"

The doe snarled. Her paws clenched so tightly that the knuckles must have been white beneath the grey fur, and he knew she was struggling to keep them off her gun. For someone sharing a room with a killer, she did not seem all that scared.

Fearless, indeed.

"You…" she swallowed whatever it was she was going to scream at him, and tried to take deep breaths. It was half a minute before she could speak again. "I thought you were a-a fence, or a smuggler or something like that! Not some kind of _hitmammal_!" she spat. "I mean… I thought you were… that you were…" she struggle to find the words.

So he chimed in. "A weak, shifty, opportunistic little _fox_ , right? Not the kind of guy you would imagine trading blows with large Prey and dangerous Predators." he snarked. He really did not mean for his words to sound accusatory, but that was just what they did. "Looks like you didn't ditch that repellent at all, eh Carrots?"

She recoiled as if he had slapped her. Even the paw that had been held near the zapper went to her left cheek for a moment, as if something hurt her there. But she recovered quickly, renewed outrage filling her eyes.

"I thought you were a _good guy_ , you bastard!" she all but screamed. "I thought there was some actual fucking decency in you! That the conning might have been the only way you knew how to survive!"

Nick grimaced. He now regretted his hasty words, but what really made him feel like dirt was the single hitch in her breath and the subtle wetness at the corners of those purple orbs.

It did nothing to stop her anger. "Turns out, there _was_ something hiding beneath the con-fox, eh? Just not what I expected. Guess I _am_ a dumb bunny after all." she finished in disgust. Whether it was directed at him or herself, was hard to say.

Likely both.

For the second time that night, bunny and fox stared at each other inside Mr. Big's study. This time, though, the silence was the furthest thing from pleasant. Nick soon found himself unable to keep looking at the doe, and went to stare at the frozen courtyard beyond the tall windows with paws in his pockets and a hunch on his back. He did not know for how long he stood there, watching the snowflakes falling gently from the inky-black sky, only visible in the pale yellow light of the wrought iron lampposts. Hopps, he could feel, had not moved at all.

Eventually, he let out a weary sigh. "Look… I know it will mean very little to a police officer but, in my defense, I didn't go around offing innocents on the streets. I was a Hunter, Carrots."

He heard her derisive scoff behind him. "Yeah, I heard the term. Such a romantic euphemism for _murderer_." her voice was flat and he did not know whether he preferred that, or her open hatred.

He turned back to the room and met her eyes again, which were as unreadable as her voice. He considered her for a moment, before waving an arm at the mansion around them.

"Tell me, do you know what separates these mobsters from common outlaws?"

The bunny crossed her own arms. "Oh gee, I don't know. Money? Power?" she guessed with disinterest.

Nick nodded. "Yes. But also _rules_ , Carrots. Hierarchy, structure, organization. The Alpha gangs of this city are their own little armies. They have laws and borders, and the power to enforce both. To keep the territory clean and the business running."

He paced in front of the window, the spectral light filtering from behind casting shadows around his form. All the while, the bunny watched him.

"The gangs have existed in one form or another for _hundreds_ of years. They are a remnant of the time when Zootopia was still just a bunch of different mammal tribes barely stomaching each other. They are as much about drug dealing or money laundry, as they're about upholding racial ideals. A few are _only_ about that."

That made the bunny loose her apathetic stance. "You're telling me the organized crime in Zootopia is a bunch of racist groups?!" she asked, shocked despite herself.

He shrugged. "It's more complicated than that, and it is a looong story. But yeah, almost every gang here is built around a certain 'theme'." he gestured again to the mansion they were currently in. "The Family, as you might have noticed, is mostly formed by cold-climate Predators… with some exceptions."

"Like you." she hissed.

"Not for almost a _decade_ now, Carrots… but yes, like me." he sighed, scratching at an ear. "Okay, quick history lesson! It used to be that the gangs were always at each other's throats. It was a constant war. While the normal, law-abiding folk of Zootopia learned how to work together… if you call Predators and Prey always eyeballing each other 'working together'," the fox scoffed while making quoting marks, "here on the underworld we were still pretty much living in the stone age. A bunch of animals always trying to be on top of the food chain."

He paced again. "The Law eventually became too strong, and started to crack down on the gangs. They fought back, and every day was pretty much a bloody mess. But a few decades ago, the leaders of the Alphas of the time realized that all the carnage was taking them nowhere. All they got by trying to fight both each other _and_ the authorities was lost money and lives. So, they made a Pact."

"Wait!" he could see that the professional inside the rabbit was curious, even while she still looked at him in distaste. "That's the second time you mentioned 'Alphas'."

Nick nodded to her. "Yep. That's how we call the five most powerful and influential of the gangs, the ones currently at the top of the food chain. Don't think I need to say it, but this number has changed a lot over the years, as well as the gangs that hold the title."

She frowned, but nodded. "A Pact, you said?"

"To stop fighting each other openly. To stomp down on the lesser gangs and control every shady dealing that happened inside their turf. Or try to, anyway." he shrugged. "And to make damn sure no one crosses the line without getting punished."

A disbelieving eyebrow went up on Carrot's face. "There are lines?"

The fox snorted. "Oh, you bet there are lines! Everyone has a moral code, Hopps, as slim and twisted as it may be. It's no different for the gangs." he shook his head. "It works like this; the Alphas lay down the ground rules for the lesser groups under their influence. Those gangs are usually allowed to do whatever they want within those limits. Sometimes they have even smaller groups under _their_ power, so we call them Betas, and the process repeats itself." he waved an airy paw. "But we are talking about criminals here, obviously there's still gonna be squabbling for turf and a lot of infighting. So each Alpha gang also establishes the 'rules of engagement' for gang disputes. Those can be as violent as you can imagine, and also much more diplomatic than you'd expect. The most important thing is: the Alphas themselves _don't_ _fight each other_. Not directly."

He paused for a moment, then pointed at the badge pinned to her chest. "And of course, everyone deals with the ZPD as they see fit."

Her glare came back, full-force. "And where do you come in, Wilde?"

Nick returned the glare with his own narrowed eyes, shaking a finger at her. "Not yet, Carrots. Let me finish." he straightened. "It's not just gang conflicts that are kept under control. Murder, rape, kidnapping, drugs, robbery, arson, blackmail, etcetera, etcetera…" he waved a dismissive paw. "…any crime committed _outside_ of a turf's rules is a problem. It calls undue attention from the authorities, scares the locals, and mess up with business."

He left the window, walking back to stand in front of the desk. The wary back-steps Hopps took as he came closer bothered him more than he was willing to admit.

He reclined against the red wooden surface with arms crossed. "A gang is _supposed_ to take care of their turf, keep freelancers and rebels in check. But sometimes they can't, or sometimes a whole gang goes rogue for whatever. So the local Alpha send in the Sweepers, their soldiers who take out the trash and keep the territory clean." he was silent for a few moments, looking at the floor. He sighed. "But often, the offenders are not known, or they run away and go to ground… or are just too dangerous. That's when the Hunters are called in."

The rabbit's nose twitched as realization dawned on her face. "You… you hunted down other criminals?"

He nodded, one paw tapping gently against the polished mahogany. "Truth be told, I had to be as much of a detective as you are, Hopps. I examined crime-scenes, collected evidence, interrogated witnesses, investigated clues, followed trails… all the good stuff."

She looked very offended that he would compare himself to a cop. "And then you just killed your _suspects_?!" she put a heavy emphasis on the word. "Or brought them here so your Boss could do it, instead?" she angrily kicked the carpet in front of the desk, revealing the trapdoor beneath. "No trials, just your shoddy 'investigation'? That's crap, Wilde!"

He looked hard at her, genuinely offended. "There was nothing _shoddy_ about my work. And no, it was often just about giving them one hell of a scare. Ya' know, if the stuff they did wasn't too bad." he shrugged. "Sometimes things were not as they seemed at the start, and my targets were just mammals caught between jagged rocks and sharp places. Mr. Big _is_ ruthless, but he can appreciate having only bad options left to choose." then his ears went flat and his muzzle opened in an unconscious snarl, as dark memories came back. "Other times it was way worse, and what seemed like a small-time thief was actually a sick-as-fuck elk who kept kits and cubs chained to the walls of his basement. You wanna guess _what_ he did to those kids, Officer?" he spat, voice full of venom.

The bunny was taken aback, unable to stop the revolting thoughts that must have been popping up inside that fluffy head of hers. They stood in silence for a long minute, until she was eventually able to recoup.

"T-That's..." she took a deep breath. "You really want me to believe that you 'Hunters' only go after bad guys?"

The fox snorted. "'Bad guys' can be a very hazy term, Carrots. But no, you're right. Most Hunters are just very skilled hitmammals, and are not particularly concerned about who they use those skill against… or for whom." he gave a wary, tired sigh. "But remember what I said about morals? Well, I've mine too, believe it or not. Mr. Big knew better than to send me against someone he didn't think would deserve it. We had a deal."

The old boar was not the only one who could be very dangerous when crossed.

Understandably, the bunny still looked at him with abject mistrust. "So you're telling me you _never_ made a hit on an innocent?" she asked in disbelief.

Nick was silent for a long time. So long that the bunny started to fidget where she stood. A flurry of memories that cut into his heart even deeper than what he had found in that psycho's basement threatened to overwhelm him. It was with much effort that he forced himself to answer.

"No, Carrots." he told her, voice low and angry and stony and just filled with self-loathing. "There was one mammal who _absolutely_ did not deserve me in her life. It was afterwards that I…" he swallowed the bitter lump in his throat "…that I left Mr. Big's employment and became a hustler." he finished quietly, lost in thoughts.

The doe opened her mouth to ask him more, but one look at his darkened eyes seemed to discourage her. Instead, another uncomfortable silence descended upon them.

But her paw was no longer twitching for the zapper. That was something, at least.

He heard the bunny sigh. "You know you just confessed a lot of things to me?"

He snapped himself out of his brooding, and blinked a few times. "You're hardly the first cop to know 'bout a crime and be unable to do anything with it, Carrots. It's my word against yours." he shrugged. "Feel free to use those amazing detective skills, if you want to." he was not trying to be mocking. He honestly did not care. There was not a prison in Zootopia that could hold him.

She took a threatening step forwards. "I just might do that, Wilde."

He nodded evenly. "Be my guest. Just _please_ do me one last favor and leave the old boar alone? I don't want to see you turned into a copcicle."

"You're asking me not to do my job?!"

"I'm asking you to be _smart,_ rabbit! To be realistic! Even if by some ridiculous miracle you manage to bring him and the Family down, there're lots of much worse gangs just itching to take the place. Mr. Big is a damn _saint_ compared to the other great leaders." he shook his head. "Don't believe me? Ask that chief of yours sometime if he would rather deal with another Alpha gang. One not so willing to keep the peace in the Tundra."

She caught his implied drift, and went ramrod straight in indignation. "You're accusing Zootopia's Chief of Police of having an accord with gangsters?!" she hissed furiously.

He gave her a toothy smirk. "Why don't'cha ask him?"

She stomped her foot, but did not take the bait. Instead she paced around a little, paws on her hips, cottontail trembling. The fox watched in amusement.

Finally, she turned back to him, eyes set. "That's it! We're _done_ , Wilde. Just tell me where Mr. Manchas is, and I'll be on my way." she narrowed her purple eyes. "And you'd better make yourself scarce, if you know what's good for you."

"Wow… giving me a head start, Officer? You _do_ care." he put a paw to his heart.

She just glared.

In that moment, Nick Wilde found himself with a choice. He could simply tell the rabbit where to find the jaguar and wash his paws of the whole mess. Whether she would really come after him next was a problem for later.

However…

"No, I don't think we're done yet."

"What!?"

The fox scratched his muzzle, looking at her with half-lidded eyes. "Your jaguar is inside Los Desperados territory, Carrots, as a favor for Mr. Big. The two groups have an accord, so they've agreed to let his employee hide inside their patch of the jungle." he walked up to her, and was pleased to notice she did not step back this time. Though she still glared at him. "Rainforest is far less policed than Savanna, or even Sahara. And the Cartel is much less friendly than the Family, believe me. I wouldn't take your copsy tail inside their turf uninvited."

"I can have backup." she grunted.

He raised an eyebrow. "You're gonna need a _lot_ of backup. You that confident your chief will mobilize a raid into known Cartel territory? Just to interrogate Manchas?"

She opened her mouth, then closed it with a huff.

"That's what I gathered. Look, the guys in there know me, all right? They know I am still in good standing with the Family. I vouch for you, and they won't bother us."

She stared at him in disbelief. "After everything you said, you think I want to take you along? You're crazy, fox."

He raised a finger. "Life ain't about what we want, Carrots. It's about what we can or cannot do, and what we can or cannot accept." he hunched in front of her, paws on his knees so that their eyes were at the same level. "You can't find Otterton without my help right now, it's that simple."

He waited for the flurry of arguments and protests dancing behind her eyes to die out. He knew this rabbit was too smart and professional to overestimate her chances. When he saw her face fall in resigned annoyance, he extended a conciliatory paw to her. She eyed it warily.

"So the question here is: can you _accept_ the aid of a former Hunter, in order to find Mr. Otterton…"

He let the question hang in the frosty air for a moment.

"…or can you not?"

It seemed as if an eternity had passed when she finally walked away from him, ignoring his paw. "Let's go." she told him flatly.

He righted himself and fixed his tie, making sure to hide his relief. "Lead the way, Carrots."

The doe stopped, turning hooded eyes back to him. "It's _Officer Hopps_ to you, Wilde. We clear?" she went to the door without waiting for his answer. Nick closed his eyes with a sigh, murmuring under his breath.

"Crystal."

* * *

ANs:

So, this chapter got way larger than I expected it would. And it's mostly just talk. How 5 minutes of movie became over 11k words, I can't really say. Hope it wasn't boring.

Next chapter should be really action-packed, though.

As always, huge thanks to Magus Neon, Zero1606, PantheraTigr, Number66 and ThatOneGuyWithTheThing for leaving an opinion on the last chapter. And to all the readers.


	5. Chapter 5 - The Savage Jungle

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

"Hello!" – normal speech

 _"Italic on the whole sentence."_ – thoughts

 _Italic on individual words –_ emphasis

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 **The** **Savage Jungle**

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Most of the mammals that lived outside of its borders, and quite a few of those who lived inside them, would tell you that it rained all the time in the Rainforest District. Which was just unfair.

Like it did for dry Sahara Square and cold Tundratown, the incredibly complex Artificial Environment System in Rainforest was designed to closely simulate the weather of its namesake geographical region. And yes, that meant a fair amount of yearlong warmth and humidity, but nowhere near the eternal rain many a detractor liked to tout when stating their reasons to never live in the place... which were readily countered by others pointing out the district's breathtaking green canopy, serene groves, twisting rivers, misty lakes, sparkling waterfalls, cozy swamps and overall unmatched biodiversity.

That being said, it _was_ raining that night. A lot.

The yellow van's headlights pierced the inky shadows of the winding road. The silvery rays of the moon could barely reach them through the dense cover of foliage high above, but the road kept going ever upwards. It curved around the gigantic trees like a black serpent, linking the forest floor with the elevated residential areas built around and inside the massive trunks.

The Chemist felt them start to slow down, and then stop completely by the roadside. The voice of his cousin soon revealed why.

"This is it, Doug." said Woolter from the driver's seat, in his usual dour manner. "As far as I can get you guys. Any further and we'll have the damn cats all over us." and as he said it, he peered anxiously through the rain at the trees all around, as if waiting to catch a glimpse of felid eyes glinting in the darkness.

The Chemist grunted at his kin's paranoia, but he did have reasons for it. "Understood. We will continue on hoof." he informed the dark-woolen driver. Then he turned to the ram across from him in the van, who was busy tinkering with his pet drone...

...while cooing softly to it, as if the thing was a newborn lamb.

As he always did, the Chemist ignored the Engineer's antics. "We're moving out." he stated flatly, as he grabbed his sniper rifle and went to open the van's side door.

Red goggles flashed up to him, and their owner smiled. "It's cool." then he turned to Woolter. "No sneaky-peaky eyes 'round, brudda?"

His cousin shook his head, still peering apprehensively into the rain. "Don't think so."

The Engineer laughed as he also stood up, and tapped his drone lovingly. "Well, we'll see 'bout that, won't we Rackety?"

"You do that, sir. Oh, and no traffic cams on this corner, either." Woolter added.

" _Big Sister will take care of those for us, anyway."_ He waited until his companion was ready, and opened the side door. Rain started to pour down on them as both rams jumped off, and the sound of millions of water droplets hitting millions of leaves all around was enough to drown out most other noises. A fortunate thing, given their mission.

"Rainy night in the jungle, heh brudda?" the Engineer remarked, as he gently put his praised creation down and started fiddling with the computer on his wrist.

The Chemist scoffed. "It's just water." he watched the drone come to life, its three rotor blades starting to spin silently. Soon enough, the little machine flew off into the night. As much as he disagreed with his fellow's personality, he had to admire his craft. That drone of his was fast, whisper-quiet, and almost invisible at night. It had an array of powerful sensors and a suppressed, high-precision, medium-range gun slung underneath its body. Not some fancy chemical or electrical weapon either, but the old-fashioned and very lethal kind.

That little thing was a terror to any target caught in the open; a fantastic assassination tool, and the Engineer's pride and joy. Big Sister had suggested more than once to use the machine as a carrier for their new weapon, but the Chemist would not have it. Just remembering that proposition made him squeeze the rifle in his hands. He had poured years of his life into this chemical, and he would not let anyone else wield it.

Doug Ramses might not have many emotions left in him, but pride was definitely one of them.

"Heh! But water has power, brudda." the other ram turned to him, smile large and eerie. "Water keeps us. Water can save, and water can kill."

"So can we." he stated flatly.

His partner laughed. "Aye, so can we." he tilted his head to the side, and Doug knew he was reading the information displayed behind his goggles. "Path's clear, brudda. Some nasty little kitties hiding in the shadows, but we can avoid them."

He nodded. "Good." without another word, both rams jumped over the road's guardrail and into the thick branches just below. They stealthily started following the long and tortuous tree path up to their target's location. They would need to jump over deadly heights, climb up slippery trunks and swing over vines of dubious strength to get there. Not feats most would think a pair of fat sheep to be capable of.

But they were Chemist and Engineer, the Flock's Executioners, and this was just part of the job.

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Judy Hopps' thoughts were a mess, and it was all the fault of one lying fox. She liked to think of herself as a rational mammal, whenever reason was called for, yet she felt personally betrayed by Wilde and she could not explain _why!_

With no small effort, she decided to lock away the anger and strange sadness she felt and focus on the case. Finding Otterton was the most important thing, she could deal with Wilde later. And she _would_ deal with him, there was no longer any doubt about that. For now she resolved to treat the fox as a necessary evil, a very dangerous one that she would keep under her sights and at arms-length all the time. Above all, she would _not_ be fooled by him again.

"This driver of yours... she's a gangster, too?" she asked flatly.

"Ha! Nice try, Carr... Hopps." Wilde snickered out, and Judy held back a snarl at how untroubled he sounded. As if nothing had changed between them. "I ain't giving your copper self any dirt on my friends." then he scratched his muzzle pensively. "Well... not on the ones it would actually matter, anyway." green eyes looked sideways at her. "Let's just say that Skully gives me a lift now and then, whenever Finn is too busy or too sloshed, and that she will get us inside the Desperados' canopy without fuss."

The rabbit tapped her foot, arms crossed in impatience. They had been standing in front of the entrance to Mr. Big's grounds for only about ten minutes, but it felt like hours. "Couldn't your Boss just call them himself? Give us the go ahead? I feel like the least I see of what you call _'_ friends' _,_ the better."

The confox shook his head, and seemed genuinely disappointed. "That's unfair, Officer. Think what you will of me, but you'll be hard pressed to find a more kind-hearted mammal in this city than Priscilla Tripletoe. And even Finn has never done anything worse than confidence tricks and the occasional drunken brawl." Judy felt a pang of shame, remembering the sweet DMV sloth. "To answer your question, though, the reason is simple; you're ZPD, and I'm a former Hunter."

She ignored his slight stressing of the word 'former'. "So?"

"So, if the old boar calls the Cartel to arrange safe passage on their turf for someone with my history and an officer of the Law, he suddenly owns them a favor. A big one, actually." then, he gave a mischievous grin. "If, on the other paw, an ex-operative who is still favored by an allied Alpha just _happens_ to escort a cop around the neighborhood, then Mr. Big ain't got nothing to do with that. The cats will watch our every move, of course, but they'll leave us be... as long as we stay the hell out of Cartel business and don't pick any fights."

The bunny blinked at that reasoning. "That's... that doesn't sound all that right to me."

He shrugged. "Just how it works. Gang etiquette can be subtle like that."

His ears perked up about the same time hers did, and they both turned to look at the distant headlights approaching them trough the falling snow. There was a car coming up the frozen road to the mansion, and it was coming in _fast_.

As in 'pissing all over the speed limit' fast.

Soon enough, the driver did an impressive drifting turn over the slippery asphalt, and came to a stop just a few steps in front of the rabbit and fox. The car was a sleek, tuned, midnight-colored sports model. The mammal who stepped out of the driver's seat was a tigress, wearing biker jeans and a sleeveless purple jacket. Her frame was strong, lean and feminine. On her left shoulder was a permanent dye of a grinning feline skull, one of the 'eyes' winking out at them. She gave them a smile full of sharp fangs.

" _Señor_ Wilde?" her voice was, at the same time, soft and spunky. She could not be much older than Judy herself, or much younger than Wilde. "You needed a ride?"

The con's face lit up in a matching grin. "That I did, Skully. Sorry for dragging you out of bed this late."

The tall female gave a sigh of old suffering. "It's ' _Calavera',_ _Señor_ Wilde."

"Yeah sure, Skully. Whatever you say."

This time she just shook her head with a small grin. She turned and gave Judy an appraising look, but not a hostile one. " _Hola!_ Raphaéla Clawson, at your service. Though everyone just calls me 'Calavera'. Everyone with some respect, that is." she shot playfully at the fox, who just smiled. "And you're the bunny that was all over the papers a while back, _si_?"

The reminder of her unwanted celebrity status soured an already poor mood. "It's Officer Judy Hopps. And don't remind me." she ground out.

The tigress gave a sympathetic nod, and did not seemed bothered by her less-than-friendly tone. "I feel ya, girl. All those _pendejos_ snapping pictures at you had to be a pain." her golden eyes turned from cop to con, and back.

The bunny felt a little embarrassed, but her mood lifted a bit. "Yeah, thanks."

"So... you guys going on a jungle date?"

And there went her mood again. "NO!" she stomped her foot in indignation, ears straight up and hot. "Why does _everyone_ think we're mates?!"

Once again, the tigress was unfazed. She crossed her black-striped arms and reclined against her car, shrugging. "Because it's so hard to see a bunny and fox together, that the only good reason for that to happen is if they're rutting? I know that's what _I_ thought."

While Judy spluttered in scandal, Wilde had his eyes closed in a pensive pose. He nodded. "That makes sense."

"No, it DOESN'T!"

"Anyway," the felid interrupted, turning back to the fox, "Wasn't sleeping, so don't worry. Was on a date myself, actually."

The con tilted his head. "Oh? Double sorry, then?"

"Don't be, that tiger was getting on my nerves." she left the passenger door open for them and got back to her seat. The bunny was not happy to find she would have to share the other one with Wilde, especially after that last implication, but there was little she could do about it. Once they were all inside, she continued. "Spent all night trying to convince me to let him show his 'piloting skills' on this beauty." she made quotes with one paw and patted the car's dashboard with the other. She started the engine, then revved it twice with a contented smile. The sound echoed around the cold night. "As if! He can ride me, but _no one_ rides my _chica_ without me behind the wheel."

The rabbit had no energy to feel shocked again. Wilde just laughed. "Shame on him. Now he gets neither."

"Exactly." she grinned back. "So, _Señor_ Wilde, Vine and Tujunga, wasn't it?"

"Yep."

"Too easy." she cracked her neck. "Should get you guys there in 20 minutes or so."

Judy frowned. Wilde had told her the Desperados turf was on the outskirts of Rainforest, a very long way from their current location on Tundratown. "There's no way we can get there that quickly." she was not trying to sound accusatory. It was just a fact.

Instead of looking offended, the tigress exchanged an amused look with the fox. "Is that a challenge, Officer?" the slightly-crazed glint in her eyes sent a shiver down the bunny's spine.

Wilde answered cheerfully. "Sure sounded like a challenge to me."

"Ahh..." Judy looked quickly from one to the other, ears splayed down. She had a feeling she had just made a big mistake.

'Calavera' put the manual transmission on first gear and revved the engine again. " _Agárrense fuerte, chiquitos!_ " was her only warning, before they began tearing through the zootopian roads. Over the next weeks, a few late drivers would comment how a black demonic car was haunting the streets at night. Others replied it was a common thing, and that they should see the red-and-white one.

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"Rackety has reached the target, brudda. Everything's quiet-like." the Engineer informed. "Having a lookey-look now."

"Understood."

While his companion carefully operated his pet drone, the Chemist look out for a good sniping position. The rain buffeted them, but they kept their hooves firm. In the distance he could see the many multicolored lights of a large treetop community, shining through the fine mist. One of those trees held their target.

" _Desperados' territory."_ he thought. _"Filled to the brim with Predators."_

Unlike most of his brethren, Doug felt no particular hatred towards the Predator species. For him, this was all just a very interesting experiment. Every mammal was a slave to their flesh, to the exchange of chemicals and electrical impulses inside the brain. It fascinated him how their new weapon could undo millennia of evolution in just a few seconds, how fragile their so called 'evolved' minds really were. And he felt his pride was entirely justified. Anyone could take a mammal's life. But to take away the self? That was _his_ power, only.

Sure, he was not the one who discovered the basis of the process. But he _was_ the one who studied it, refined it, perfected it.

"I think that spot will give me adequate line-of-sight." he told his partner, pointing to the top of a close tree. "You don't need to move any further. Stay here."

The Engineer nodded, still focused on his readings. "Righty, brudda. Our kitty is home, and he has a guardian angel." he looked at Doug now. "Good luck."

The Chemist snorted, and patted the case where he held his special ammunition. He had only a single shot, but that would be enough. Not only was the serum hellishly hard to synthesize, it also had a very short viable life. It was impossible to stock the stuff.

And it would be a waste to carry spares, since he never missed a shot anyway.

"I'm going up."

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 **0000000**

 **.**

Exactly 18 minutes and 44 seconds had passed since they left Mr. Big's estate.

"Here we are." Clawson told them, purring with satisfaction. "There's the bridge you want." she pointed outside, at a suspension bridge that went off towards a distant tree. Beside it stood a street sign with the names 'Tujunga' and 'Vine'.

Judy shook her head, still not believing the last few minutes. She was not afraid to drive fast, but what the tigress had done since they entered Rainforest District went beyond reckless and straight into suicidal.

It was _raining_ , for goodness sake!

"You know, I should really arrest you for that." the bunny felt the need to say.

The crazy driver laughed. "You a detective or a meter maid, _coneja_?"

Judy swallowed her retort, as her ears got hot again. The fox shaking with repressed glee beside her did not help matters any. "Let's just go." she finally managed to get out with a huff.

"Yes, let's." Wilde agreed, still holding his laughter. "Hey, Skully? Did you..." he trailed off.

" _Si._ Called _abuelo_ Colmillo on my way to the Tundra. The boys will leave you alone, and I'll be nearby in case you need me again."

"Thanks a bunch, Skully. I will transfer the usual amount to you tomorrow, okay?" he told her. Judy's ears twitched at that.

And Clawson's satisfied face collapsed into a frown. "Can you cut that shit already? How many times do I have to tell that I'm trying to repay you?"

The fox shook his head. "And how many times do _I_ have to tell you it was nothing?"

The tigress snarled, paws closing tightly over the steering wheel. "Saving my life wasn't _nothing!"_ when her answer was a simple shrug, she relaxed and her eyes softened. "Honestly, I can't decide if you're the most arrogant bastard in this city, or the humblest."

He gave a little smile. "Can't I be both?" he nodded to Judy, and she opened the door. Immediately, cold droplets started to pelt them. Wilde followed her out of the car, then turned back to the tigress. "See ya around, Skully." he waved a lazy paw.

She put two fingers to her forehead as a farewell sign. "See you, _Señor_ Wilde _._ Take care." her eyes drifted to Judy. "You too, Officer. You seem like one of the good ones, so let me give an advice. Listen to that _zorro._ He acts all aloof, but that's just some lone-male shit. You don't hurt nobody who doesn't deserve it, and he'll make sure nobody hurts you."

The rabbit's face hardened and she looked at the fox, who had paws in his pockets and eyes firmly on a nearby tree knot. "Thank you." she answered stonily.

The tigress gave her a long look, before nodding and closing the door. With a brief goodbye honk, the black speed freak was once again streaking down the wet and twisting roads, away from them.

"Let's go." she said, voice still flat, and started to cross the suspended bridge. Wilde followed in silence. After a short distance, though, she had to ask. "That 'advice'... you put her up to that, fox?" Judy glared at him.

He gave her a brief, taciturn look. "Tsc, 'course not." he denied. He was silent for a moment, before continuing softly. "If anything, I think Skully has a seriously inflated opinion of me."

The officer frowned. "You saved her life?"

A shrug, as the fox gave a distracted look at the black abyss below them. "Yeah, I got her out of a mess. But that was like, a _decade_ ago. A couple of years before I left the Family. Skully still thinks she owns me." he laughed thinly. "She's one stubborn tigress. Everyone gave me a wide berth after I retired; out of fear, or respect, or both; but she somehow managed to stick around."

They went quiet for several steps. The rain was unrelenting, but not as cold as she expected. The wind rustled the countless branches and leaves, and their bridge swayed gently. Judy wondered about Wilde's somber mood, and what about the tigress' compliment could have put him in it.

"She mentioned an _abuelo_? Someone named Colmillo?"

At that, he gave her a longer look, most likely judging the merit of telling anything. "That would be her Grandfather, Alfonso Rayas, AKA 'El Colmillo Rojo'." he looked up, at the moon shining faintly trough the canopy. "Leader of the Desperados' Sweepers, and arguably their greatest fighter."

Now _that_ was interesting. "Oh? Another friend of yours?"

That made Wilde burst into laughter. So loud and sudden and unexpected that she even gawked a little. The fox had to grab the ropes of the bridge to support himself trough his mirth.

"Ha ha... oh gods, t-that's funny!" he pounded his chest weakly. "No, Carrots, he's not my f-friend, ha ha, not by a long shot. The old tiger hates my guts!"

She caught his use of her old nickname, but let it slide this time. "Why?"

He brought himself under control, wiping a tear with a paw. "Ahh, I needed that. Long story, Hopps. One for another time. It's not important right now."

She bristled. "Not important?" she gestured all around them with her arms. "We are in the turf of a gangster who 'hates your guts'! And he knows it! How's that _not_ important?!"

The fox put his paws into his pockets and started to walk again, unconcerned. She had no choice but to follow. "Because it isn't the 'I want revenge', kinda hate. More like the 'I detest everything you stand for' type. So don't lose those knickers now, it'll be just dandy."

Fox and rabbit stepped out of the bridge and into a wooden platform surrounding the large tree, overrun by a multitude of colorful plants. A short distance away stood a house. Looking gloomy in the dark of the night, with only a single yellow light to illuminate the porch, the entire front of the structure was covered in vines and patches of moss. It gave off an air of abandonment. This had been Renato Manchas' house growing up, from the day he was born all the way to his moving out to cold Tundratown about five years ago, to stay closer to his new job. By Wilde's account (who learned it from Mr. Big) the jaguar had never bought into the gangster lifestyle, despite being surrounded by mobs his entire life. A peaceful mammal by nature, he was happy to work for a known crime boss as long as nothing violent was asked of him. And nothing ever was. Wilde made sure to point out how most of Mr. Big's businesses were quite clean and legal, as were the mammals who worked in them.

The main reason, he'd said, that Manchas decided to work for the Family instead of joining the 'home team'.

Judy was about to go to the door, when her ever sharp ears caught something. Her mind might be in turmoil, but that did not dull her senses. And even with the patter of rain, the rustling of leaves, the creaking of wood and the chirping of insects, she was sure she heard something coming from the vast green cover above them. Without betraying anything, acting as if she was just admiring the house, she listened.

And then whispered as discreetly as she could. "Wilde, there's someone hiding in the branches." she made sure not to seem as if she was ready to reach for her stunner.

The fox had been standing there, waiting for her to move. "Very good, Hopps." he praised, just as quietly. He gave her that easy smile of his, and made a show of examining a nearby shrub. "Didn't expect you to catch him that fast. Yes, one of the Cartel's watchers is up there. They're all over this canopy, actually. Act naturally." he plucked a small and bright yellow flower from inside the shrub, and then went to put it gently on her vest's collar. With how they whispered to each other, the act must have looked _very_ intimate.

It was harder than she would admit to contain a blush. It was even harder to keep herself from punching him. Over and over.

His smile was still relaxed, but his green eyes glinted slyly in the light of the porch.

"If I were allowed to act 'naturally', I'd have you in cuffs by now." and she meant it. However, her declaration only made the fox's look even more mischievous.

"Woe for wasted opportunities, then." he whispered sadly, finished securing the flower, and straightened. "The cats keep a very close eye over their turf, day 'round. It's almost impossible to sneak up into this place." he gestured gallantly to the door. "But like I said, we don't have to worry about _Sicarios_ jumping us tonight. Ladies first."

Keeping the faces of Mrs. Otterton and her children into her mind, to remember why she was putting up with the con, she dutifully went to press the doorbell. A funny chime sounded out, and they waited. She glared back at Wilde. "You stay back there and keep quiet, fox. This is police business."

Said fox reclined against a tall, broad-leafed plant. "You're the boss." he agreed easily, but then warned her. "Just go easy on Manchas, Officer. Remember that's no brutal enforcer behind that door, just a scared chauffeur."

Judy huffed, but also tried to relax her stiff stance and put on a more friendly expression.

She heard the sound of soft steps inside the house, coming closer to the entrance. A male voice, throaty and with a pronounced accent, called from inside. Followed by the door opening just a little, and a single green eyes peeking out at them from a black-furred face.

"Who... who is it?" he sounded cautious and even a little paranoid.

"My name is Officer Judy Hopps, ZPD." she heard a soft gasp of surprise. "I'm here to ask some questions about how you got hurt, Mr. Manchas."

"Boss sent you?" he asked with a little incredulity. But then he seemed to answer his own question. "Oh, uh... sure. Guess you wouldn't be here if he hadn't." as in being here alive and unharmed, was the unspoken statement. Judy's inner cop bristled at the implications, but if that helped her reach her target...

"Exactly, sir." she went along, giving him a reassuring smile. "I just want to know what happened to Emmitt Otterton."

"Otterton?" his visible eye widened. "You should be asking what happened to _me!_ " he seemed much emboldened now, because he suddenly opened the door as far as its chain lock would allow. It revealed a large and athletic jaguar, wearing comfortable gray pants and a white tank top. But that registered later, because the thing that immediately caught their attention was his other eye. It was closed off and swollen. Above and bellow the socket, deep and angry claw marks ran over his skin. They were only beginning to heal, and would certainly leave scars. She doubted his fur would be able to fully cover them, as was the case with her own childhood wounds. Over the jaguar's exposed shoulders and collarbone she could see more, shallower, marks.

The rabbit was shocked. Mr. Big did tell them that Manchas had the wounds to prove Otterton's attack. But despite the savage scene they had found in the limo back at Tundratown, her mind had still refused to accept that a sweet old father could be capable of such violence.

"What happened, Mr. Manchas?"

"He-he was an _animal_!" he told her, and then looked fearfully at the sides, as if expecting said animal to suddenly jump out from the shadows. "Down on all fours, like a savage!" he closed his one good eye and whimpered, lost in the traumatic memory. "There was no warning. Just scratching, and snarling, and gnawing, and-and..." his whole body shook lightly now. "...his eyes! Oh, gods, his eyes..." he put his head inside the crook of his arm, as if that could shield him from his own mind.

"It's all right, sir. No one's going to hurt you n..." she began, but was interrupted.

"The Nighthowlers!" he screamed suddenly and retreated into his house, door once again only a sliver open. "He kept yelling about the Nighthowlers! Over and over, the Nighthowlers..." by the end, his voice was just a frightened whisper, his breath labored. "What does that _means_?" he asked her.

She had no answer, and she really needed him to calm down so his story could start to make sense. She needed a beginning, a middle, and an end. But she could see that the jaguar was still much too affected by the incident, and she felt as if wrong sentence would see him slamming that door into her face.

Before she could think something up, however, Wilde solved that problem for her. "So he talked about the Nighthowlers, huh?" the con's voice came from behind her.

Both rabbit and jaguar turned to the fox, who was calmly walking over to them. He was different now; his stance was straight and confident, his gait was precise, his eyes were fully open and locked onto the jaguar's own. His voice was no longer lazy, but a smooth and soothing drawl. All in all, he gave forth a quiet and calming authority.

"We're investigating these 'Nighthowlers', you see." he continued, as he came beside her. "Dreadful stuff, but we believe Emmitt Otterton might provide the information we need about them."

Manchas seemed to calm down. He opened the door again and even put his head outside, looking hopefully at the fox. "Really?"

"Oh, yes. And we could really use your help." he gave Judy a look, and that was all she needed to catch on to his plan.

Manchas was desperately trying to make sense of the assault. He was understandably afraid of the little otter, but there should also be a healthy dose of anger beneath all that fear. Saying that their goal was to help his attacker would be counter-productive, they needed him to focus on something else.

"Exactly, Renato." the officer took up, speaking softly. "We can tell you all that we know, if you return the favor. We can make sure something like this never happens again." she tried to project the same reassuring aura that Wilde had.

The chauffeur looked from one to the other a few times, before making up his mind. He took a deep, fortifying breath, and nodded. "I-I can do that. Just... just let me put a jacket first, please." he closed the door, and they heard him remove the chain lock. Realizing the poor guy was now feeling a little self-conscious about his scars, she decided to give him the time to dress before entering.

 **.**

 **0000000**

 **.**

When he was sure the jaguar was out of sight from his visitors, the Chemist squeezed the trigger. The silenced rifle shot its deadly load straight and true, through the open window of the house. As always, he calculated his target's movement perfectly and watched trough the scope as the Predator went to the ground and quickly started to convulse. He would no longer be able to speak to anyone about anything.

But the damage was already done.

"You're sure about that?" he asked in his radio.

"Aye, brudda." came his partner's response, and it sounded very offended. "I'll have you know that Rackety's ears are all keen-like. The kitty was yelling about them plants, fer sure."

Doug grunted. "Then we have a problem." the drone had been too far away for it's auditory sensor to catch the whole exchange, but their target screaming 'Nighthowlers' had been clear enough, according to the Engineer.

It was just a word, and spoken out of context it meant little. But it was still a clue. More than enough for a smart mammal.

They could not risk it.

"What now?" the Engineer asked.

"You've cut off their communications?"

"Rackety's jamming away, brudda."

"Then we watch." he answered, trailing his scope on the pair of little meddlers that could ruin his whole operation. "And we make sure our new friend gets his meal."

And if only the tinniest bit of vindictiveness seeped into the ram's voice at that idea, it went unnoticed.

 **.**

 **0000000**

 **.**

"I told you to stay out of this."

"That you did."

Judy sighed. "You really did this kind of thing before."

The fox looked at her, having gone back to his usual laid-back self. The difference was remarkable.

"I am a little rusty, I'll admit." then his eyes darkened, the usually bright green looking dull and harsh. "Dealing with the victims... the really messed-up ones... that was always the worst part of the job for me. But that just made me want to bring the bastards who'd hurt them down even harder."

She opened her mouth to speak, exactly what she did not know, when they heard a surprised yelp and the sound of someone hitting the floor, followed by a series of painful wails and grunts.

Rabbit and fox had their respective ears straight up. Wilde reverted to what Judy was beginning to think of as his 'Hunter' stance, while she had her stun pistol in paw. She slowly opened the door, revealing a gloomy main hall and a black-furred form writhing on the wooden floor. The grunts were slowly becoming less pained, and more... angry?

She took a step just inside the house. "Mr. Manchas?" she called out for him. Instinct made her charge the stunner. "Are you all right, sir?"

Suddenly, the jaguar stilled. For a moment, all that could be heard was the soft sound of the rain outside. Then Manchas slowly rose, but he did not stand on his two feet, no. He had his front paws on the floor, and a low and ominous rumble came from deep in his throat. He sniffed the stale air once, twice... and then snapped his head towards them.

Both of his eyes were open now, and they shone with an unnatural light. Mad and feral.

The bunny officer brought her weapon to bear. "Stand back, Mr. Manchas." she yelled, pointing the stunner at him. Her order went unheard, though, because with a single forward step to gain impulse, the melanistic jaguar jumped straight at her with a mighty roar and deadly claws fully extended.

His hindpaws had barely left the floor, and Judy fired. The stunner's dart hit Manchas in flight, biting into his skin and delivering its paralyzing charge straight into his chest. His roar became a growl of pain, and she deftly rolled beneath his body as he went flying out of the house and crashed down in a mess of rolling limbs. He laid there, snarling and twitching.

She glanced at Wilde. The fox had his attention on the prone black form, but he gave her a sideways nod. "Good move."

"What was _that_?" she asked, already reloading her pistol with another dart.

"You ask me, the same thing that happened to the otter."

"Then we should..."

She could not finish, because at that moment another form jumped down from the branches above the house to land next to the jaguar. He was, most likely, a cougar. It was hard to tell the species for sure, because the feline was covered head to toe in forest camouflage. Even what little exposed fur he had was dyed black and green.

Manchas had stilled again. As if unconscious.

The cougar had a weapon in his paws, a carbine. He had it pointed right at them. "What the hell is going on here?! _"_ he demanded to know. He gave a quick look to the jaguar, and his eyes narrowed angrily. "This one is under protection! What do you think you're doing?" he yelled again. When they only looked at each other, each wondering how to explain the situation, he lost his patience. "Answer, NOW!"

Judy's mind went a mile a second, as it calculated actions and outcomes. If worst came, she believed she had a good enough chance to dive into the cover of the front door before she could be hit. The wood was very thick, enough to withstand medium caliber ammo, and keeping the Cartel thug's attention on her would leave Wilde safe until she could stun the cougar.

All that planning became moot, however, when the fox yelled. "Watch out! Behind you!"

Instead of obeying, the thug pointed his gun at Wilde, and then paid dearly for that mistake. In the blink of an eye the downed jaguar was up again. He immediately threw the smaller cat to the ground and sunk his fangs into the soft neck.

A gunshot echoed trough the jungle and red sprayed into the night. The cougar gurgled while his carbine went flying from his paws, over the edge of the platform and down into the darkness. The crazed Manchas did not even wait for his victim to bleed out. The jaguar twisted his head violently, and they heard the sound of snapping bones.

The cougar stopped struggling.

Judy Hopps had never witnessed an assassination, but she thought she had been prepared for it. She had been prepared to see a fellow mammal being knifed down, shot, or even beaten to death. She had been prepared to react without hesitation. But this was different, this was nothing like she had mentally strengthened herself for. This was primal savagery, predatory, and for just an instant it left her paralyzed. Which was unfortunate, because Manchas decided to try again. Leaving the body of his former watcher behind, crimson blood dripping from his bare fangs, the jaguar turned to her and pounced. She could only watch. Her mind screamed at her to move, to shoot, anything, but her limbs would just not obey.

But the approaching black savage was stopped once again, this time by a red-furred form colliding with him at mid-air. Faster than she could comprehend, Wilde had moved and jumped, hitting Manchas at the side with a spinning kick. The fox was a third the size of the felid, and likely just a tenth of the weight. And yet, the strike was powerful enough to send the jaguar crashing into the wall beside the entrance. As the larger mammal collapsed in a daze, the fox twirled gracefully in the air and landed lightly not too far from him.

"Get alive, Hopps." Wilde told her, though his eyes never left Manchas, who was slowly getting back to his paws. "And check that poor sod out." he gestured to the unmoving cougar.

That snapped her out of her torpor. Burying the terrible memory behind a wall of focus, she jumped to the smaller cat. Wilde quickly moved so he was between them and the snarling mammal. Adrenaline pumping into her veins, the bunny only twitched slightly at the sight of the absolute mess that was the cougar's neck. Blood still oozed from it, and it was bent into a decidedly unnatural angle. A quick check of his pulse confirmed what was already obvious.

"He's dead."

The fox clicked his tongue in frustration. By this time, Manchas was back into a hunched position, his eyes focused on this new enemy. "Renato? You still in there, buddy?" the vulpine called out, voice light. "Do you have any idea of the shitstorm you just put us all in?"

His only answer was another roar. But the jaguar did not jump again. Apparently, having his pounce painfully stopped twice now had put some caution in him. The madness was still in his eyes, but that crazed anger had been replaced by a feral cunning. He began to slowly circle the fox, snapping his bloody jaw menacingly now and then.

"Yeah, didn't think so..." Wilde snorted.

"I can give him another zap." Judy told him, pistol already trained at the stalking mammal. But her companion shook his head.

"Didn't work for long the first time, and I'd bet you that was more out of surprise than anything." his eyes narrowed further, as Manchas stalked ever closer. "That wall-smash should have put his lights out as well. Something isn't right here."

"No shit?!" she glared at his back.

" _Besides_ the obvious, rabbit." he waved an impatient paw. "Look, we need to subdue him before he bolts. That dead cat behind you will already be trouble enough, we can't allow this guy to go on some crazy rampage."

"We..." but at that moment, the jaguar attacked. He had moved close to the fox, who just waited in a loose stance. In a blink, sharp claws were going straight for a red-furred neck. In his feral state, Manchas was blinding fast.

Wilde, on the other paw, was _unreal._ He was standing in front of the jaguar, just waiting for those natural blades to rip his throat open. And in the next instant he was flowing around the large feline, putting an open palm to his back, and slamming Manchas to the ground so hard she heard his bones rattle. A fox should not have anywhere near the body mass to push a fit jaguar around like that.

"Easy, pal." Wilde retreated with light steps, body still relaxed and in no particular fighting stance. Manchas soon recovered, however, shaking his head angrily as he got back up.

"Can't you hold him down?" she asked, since he was already disregarding common sense.

"Hum... 'fraid not." he gave a wry smile. "Let's just say my superfoxy strength is more suited for short bursts than sustained effor-"

He had to stop and fend off another attack. Twice more the savage mammal lunged at Wilde, twice more the fox dodged impossibly fast, and twice more he bore his attacker to the ground. Once with a palm-thrust to the side, and then with a perfect shoulder-throw that was painful to even watch.

But still, Manchas came back. Each fall only seemed to increase his ferociousness.

"Okay..." the fox wondered, easily sidestepping away from an open jaw. "He's definitely not just irrational. Cat's much tougher than he should be."

" _You_ got no right to say that." the bunny accused quietly. He gave her a brief, sly smirk, even as he sent the jaguar crashing into a flower bed with a sharp kick to the chest. As multicolored petals flew into the air, Judy realized three things.

She realized that Nick Wilde was so far beyond her in physical combat, it was not even funny. He was better than anyone she knew, for that matter, even the masters from the Academy. They could never move that fast, and only the heavyweights could strike that hard. But not with such deadly exactness.

She also realized the fox was actually _holding back_ at the moment. He could have easily struck Manchas in the throat, or joints, or liver, or any other incapacitating or lethal spot. But he did not want to cause the unrelenting jaguar serious harm. At least for now.

And that made her realize he was waiting for _her_ to come up with a plan.

So she did. She cast her eyes around them and found what she wanted almost immediately. On the corner of the platform, there was a lamp post, older and bigger than the more modern light poles that doted the edges. The lamps appeared long broken, but the post itself was made of thick wrought-iron. It would be perfect.

"Get him next to that post!" she pointed.

"Roger." he began running towards it, at a normal pace, and called back to Manchas. "Come and get me, buddy!"

The jaguar obliged, roaring after his prey. When they arrived at the post, the fox turned and went on the offensive. Manchas never had a chance. A palm-strike to the jaw sent the jaguar reeling. A second one to the solar plexus took all the wind out of him. Dazed and out of breath, the felid could do nothing as Judy quickly ran over to them and fastened one end of her handcuffs to his leg, and the other to the post. Both of them jumped away from the recovering jaguar.

"Tough fella." Wilde commented in a mild voice, fixing his tie as if he had not just fought circles around a vicious great cat ten times his weight. "Okay, that buys us some time. What now?" he put his paws at his back.

She watched as Manchas snarled and roared, leaving deep scratches into the ground as he tried to claw his way to them. But the post held firm, and he was never breaking those cuffs. They were made to withstand the strength of rhinos and elephants.

"Now I zap him again, and you use those vines there to tie him up." she pointed to a set of the hanging plants that looked particularly strong. "But first I call the Precinct to send a team to extract us."

"That will get ugly." the fox warned her. "Watchers a mile off will have heard that shot our friend got out before he bit it... heh, _bit it_. Anyway, I'm sure there's a squad of Sweepers on their way right now."

She gave a harsh glare at his joking with the cougar's death. That scene would be forever burned into her mind.

"What do you suggest, then? That we just leave Manchas here?!"

The fox looked at the jaguar, who still tried to reach them. He sighed. "No. They find him like this, they'll fill him with bullets."

"Something big is going on here, Wilde. Something terrible. The ZPD needs to get to the bottom of this." she pointed one paw at the black-furred mammal, while the other withdrew her radio. "I think _this_ merits a raid into Cartel territory. Don't you?"

He narrowed his eyes, locking them against Manchas' crazed ones. "Maybe..."

She didn't wait for his approval. "Officer Hopps to dispatch. I have a 10-91, jaguar gone savage."

 **.**

 **0000000**

 **.**

"Kitty is in chains, brudda." the Engineer informed him, as the Chemist lost sight of the group when they ran behind the house.

"Unexpected." he said. He was reviewing the altercation in his mind. That was no ordinary fox, for sure. And even the bunny did much better than he imagined. "And also unfortunate."

"We can't let the little ones go home." the other ram reminded, and sounded almost sad about it.

"No, no we can't." Doug considered the risk. Interfering now would give the pair even more clues to follow.

But that was only if they survived.

"Engineer?"

"Aye?"

"Kill them."

"...aye."

 **.**

 **0000000**

 **.**

"Dispatch." she repeated, but all she heard was the sound of static. She tried a different channel, but got the same result. "Dammit!" she turned to Wilde, and saw that he had been gathering the vines. "Once we have Manchas tied up, we'll drag him to the house and barricade ourselves."

"Sounds like a plan." the fox nodded, walking back to her. "I just might be able to talk the fellas down."

"Let's hope so." she tried her phone next, but it had no signal. Taking a weary breath, she looked to the heavens, searching for some otherworldly reassurance. And that was the only thing that allowed her to catch the movement of a strange dark shape as it passed under a beam of moonlight, gliding through the air not far from their platform.

And somehow, she just _knew_ it was looking right at Wilde.

"Watch out!" she yelled. Unlike the dead cougar now cooling off near Manchas' doorstep, Wilde did not hesitate at her warning. Before the second word even left her mouth, he had already vanished from his previous spot, dropping the armful of vines he had been carrying. And just in time, because in that same instant something tiny and deadly hit the ground where the fox had stood, accompanied by the soft 'thump' of a suppressed firearm in the distance.

Too quiet for most mammals to have heard it over the forest sounds, but not her.

She dived to the ground herself. _"We're too exposed!"_ Judy tried to come up with a plan as she crawled behind the foliage. Plants would not provide enough cover. Running for the bridge was suicide, and even the short path to Manchas' house was too far away for comfort. She took out her radio again, but stopped short of using it when she heard the sound of a bullet hitting metal, and breaking it apart.

And the heavy footsteps of a jaguar that was now free from his chains.

"Son of a...!" she swore quietly. She got up and was ready to risk it all on a dash to the house, when she felt herself being enveloped by furry arms and lifted from the ground. The familiar russet color was the only thing that kept her from lashing out by reflex.

"Hey!" she yelped.

"It's too hot up here." Wilde yelled back. Then he jumped over the edge of the platform. Another bullet whizzed past the air just inches from them as they fell.

A dozen or so meters below, the fox landed on a very large and mossy branch. He kept her firmly secured in his arms, but her own grip on her radio was not so good and it slipped from her paw and into the darkness. Before she could protest, he dashed across the entire length of the branch, jumped down to a lower one, crossed it as well, and dived inside a small opening in the trunk of another massive tree. Somewhere along the way he had shifted to carrying her with a single arm across the stomach.

But she cared little about the less-than-dignified grip, because the speed of his dashes left her dizzy. She gave scarce notice as he gently put her down. His grim voice brought her back to full attention.

"I caught some glimpses of the thing, it's following us." he told her. It was so dark in their hideout she could barely see him but for his faintly glowing green eyes. "Manchas went the other way, though."

"Damn it! Well, I didn't get a great look, either. It was some kind of flying machine, but it looked too small."

"Pretty well armed, though." he showed her the left sleeve of his floral shirt. From close up she could see a large tear in the fabric, and that the red fur beneath had been singed. "That would have been on the chest, I'll bet. You saved my life, bunny."

There was something soft and sincere in those words. It left her uncomfortable. "Just... just doing my job." she cleared her throat. "You saved me too, back there with Manchas. So we are even. Anyway, what exactly is that thing?"

He tilted his head. "Maybe the Cartel is employing rodents in mini helicopters now? That would be funny to see." he chuckled.

"Be serious, fox! We've lost our jaguar and a flying gun is out there hunting us!"

The smile turned wry, but remained. "I know, and it sucks about Manchas. But we can only deal with the current threat." he cracked his neck. "So, the way I see it, we have three choices." he lifted three fingers of a paw. "One, we can sit tight and wait for it to go away." he brought one finger down. "Two, I can take you again into my warm and muscled arms, and carry you to safety." when she only grunted at him, ears down her back, he chuckled again and took out another finger. " _Or_... we can try to scrap the thing."

The rabbit blinked. "Scrap it? Wilde, that thing is _flying_. How would we do that?"

"With this." he reached behind his back, and revealed a gun almost the size of Judy herself. She recognized it as the carbine dropped by the Desperados' cougar when he had his unfortunate encounter with Manchas.

She blinked again. "When did you get that?" she took the massive (for her) weapon and examined it. Firearms had been banned outside of military action years ago, so most of the models circulating on the streets these days were of crude making, or old. This one was neither.

"Found it on the way here." he answered with a shrug. "Figured it could be useful."

"Hum, semi-automatic... looks like a modified AL-18." she took out the magazine. "Wow, pretty large caliber for such a small gun!"

"Small?"

"Shut it! You know what I mean." she put the magazine back, and started to think. "But will it be enough to do damage?"

"You had all the tactical training, Officer. You tell me."

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Okay. The machine was not large, and seems pretty agile. Must not be all that sturdy, then." her eyes narrowed. "It was painted to blend in, flew silently enough that neither of us heard it... and I think it only attacked us after Manchas was out. Doubt it shot those handcuffs by accident." she considered the carbine closely. "I think it's remotely controlled, and more of a surprise weapon than one made to trade fire."

"Nice." the fox nodded. "How 'bout this? I go out there and make it shoot me. Then you'll know where it is and can take it down." he said cheerfully.

She gave him a look that told all too well how stupid she thought he was. "What crap of a plan is that?"

"That machine's wreck could lead you straight to whoever is using it. I can dodge that thing if I'm aware of it, and I am now. I can see pretty well in the dark, too."

"Well, then _you_ should have this." she raised the carbine. Ignoring, for the moment, the part about him being able to dodge bullets.

The fox pushed it back to her. "Nah, I'm rubbish with guns. They're not my style."

"Rubbish? Really?"

"Yep. But you can hear it just fine when it's firing, right? So you take it down."

"And who told you _I_ am some master marksmammal?"

"No one. Could tell that just from the way you handle your zapper. Look, we can do this, bunny." he put one paw on her shoulder and squeezed gently.

She pushed his paw away and opened her mouth to call him a retard, but then shut it with a 'click'. She took a slow and calming breath, eyes closed, then fixed her gaze on his own.

"Wilde, this is suicide." she told him softly. "If either of us is not as good as you think, or if there's more than one of those things out there... you'll die."

He looked back at her for a long moment, all serious now. "Can I call you Carrots again?"

"What?!"

His face came closer. "Can I call you Carrots again?" he repeated, very slowly.

She was caught flat-footed by the strange request. "You... oh darn it, Wilde, you can call me whatever the heck you want. What does that have to do with you wanting to kill yourself?"

The fox straightened and fixed his tie again. "Everything." he told her simply, then gave a full smile. "Because now I can die happy." and just like that he dashed out of their shelter, calling out to her. "I'm counting on you, Carrots!"

"Hey!" she watched, helpless, as he perched himself into a thin branch and started to peer around, into the rain. Completely in the open, with nothing but a mess of twisting tree limbs separating him from a mortal fall. "Damn you, you stupid fox!" she muttered. But even as she cursed Wilde furiously under her breath, she still went to the edge of the hole and readied the carbine.

They did not have to wait long.

She saw his ears twitch and less than a second later he jumped away, the branch he had stood on breaking off as the powerful bullet pierced it. He landed on another one, but almost immediately had to dodge again. A distant part of her mind realized that Wilde was not dodging the projectiles themselves (thank goodness), but that he was somehow able to predict when they would be fired.

By that time, Judy was ready. The first faint gunshot told her the general location of the machine. She sprung out out the hole and braced herself fully against the trunk, supporting the oversized carbine with her whole body. The second shot allowed her to pinpoint it, and confirm it was moving slowly as it tracked her partner.

The third one was all she needed. She could not see if the fox managed to escape the last round, her full attention was on hearing. Unable to see her target, trusting entirely on her ears, the rabbit fired her gun a heartbeat after the enemy's. Once, twice, than a third time.

She just hoped it really was not some mouse in a small aircraft.

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The first bullet struck the drone's sensory suit, making it partially blind. The second one took away the support of one rotor entirely. It could have still flow with only two lifters, but the third bullet nicked one of the tiny blades just enough to stop a second one. Now destabilized, the Engineer's prized hunting craft fell down and crashed against a cluster of small branches.

"RACKETY!" the ram's agonized cry was loud enough to make the radio crackle. "THAT RABBIT WHORE KILLED MY CHILD! I'LL GUT THE LITTLE FUCK!"

"You'll do no such thing at this time." he told his partner coldly. "This mission is over. We're retreating back to the van."

"But..."

"No 'buts', Engineer!" he interrupted. "They're too far from here, Desperados are coming, and your childish rant might've just given away your position." he was already making his way down. "We're leaving right now. You can have your payback later."

"Oh I will, brudda." he promised, pure venom dripping from his voice. "I will."

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They stood on some branches a safe distance from the small wreckage, watching as it released some faint blue sparks. Her limbs burned something fierce from the strain of firing a gun that was never intended for a mammal of her size.

Wilde had his paws in his pockets, and not a scratch on his pelt.

A small, cold part of her wondered if she should not have just let the fox get shot. After witnessing his unnatural strength and agility, and remembering what he once did for a living, what he could do _again_... that part of her wondered if such a dangerous individual might not be better gone from the world.

" _And then you'd be no better than him. And dead, as well."_ the greater part of her pointed out. She dismissed both thoughts. "Let's grab that thing and get the hell out of here." she said.

The fox nodded. "That would be best. I believe we've vastly overstayed our welcome." but before either could move towards the wreck, it suddenly ignited in a ball of fire and sparks.

Because the Engineer would never allow others to desecrate his child's corpse.

Startled by the detonation, Judy gave an instinctive step back. And that single step saw her slipping from the branch she had been on. Wilde caught her paw immediately, but that jostling was more than the wood could handle, as its base had been right underneath the exploding drone. The entire branch fell off, taking fox and rabbit down with it. A _long_ way down.

The first half of the fall was a blur to Judy, as her little body tumbled into broad leaves and was tossed around violently. The world spun in a kaleidoscope of colors as the many lights dotting the trees flashed across her vision. About half-way through, she managed to right herself enough that she was falling mostly head first. Which was worse, because now she could see the unforgiving asphalt of the road below coming ever closer. A couple of dozen meters before she met a squishy death, however, she hit a tight cluster of vines. She felt another furry form slam into her, and they both got tangled up. A second later, with a thug that made her feel as if she was going to be torn in half, they stopped.

Just two meters above the street.

It took her a second to realize they had been saved by the District's flora. It took a few more to calm her pounding heart.

"Well..." the confox said from her right side, his voice was infuriatingly cheery. "That was fun."

"Fun!" she yelled, and bumped his head with her own for good measure. "We almost died, again, and now I've lost the witness _and_ the evidence!"

"Ouch... okay, okay, everything sucks. But listen, Carrots, we _really_ gotta scram. You have a knife or something?"

They were out of time, however. Both could now hear the sound of cars coming up and down the street. And it did not take long before they were surrounded by glaring headlights.

The vehicles were of various models, but they were all painted black. In that same vein, the mammals who stepped out were of various species, but they were all cats.

And they were all armed.

Judy felt her fur stand up as a dozen pairs of predatory eyes fixed on her, along with the barrels of a dozen guns. Not a word was said, the cats just stood there looking menacing.

Wilde felt her stiffen, and tried to softly reassure her. "Don't panic now, bunny. We can still get out of this..." he whispered. And in that moment another car arrived. From the back door stepped out another felid. "Oh, crap."

He was a tiger, wearing an impeccable pinstriped white suit with a blood-red hat and tie. He was old but still looked vigorous, despite the elegant black cane he carried. He walked towards them in an unhurried pace, golden stare never leaving the suspended fox.

"Hey, Mr. Rayas!" the vulpine greeted friendly. "Long time no see. Could you give me a paw here? For old times' sake?" the tiger had stopped near them, paws on the top of his cane. He did not answer, his face remained austere, but his eyes flashed.

He was not a buffed hulk of a cat like those dancers that often teamed with Gazelle, but Judy was not fooled. This tiger's gait, his posture, the cold cunning behind his stern gaze... all those things spoke of danger far more than bulging muscles ever could. When he finally spoke, it was with the calm voice of one used to being obeyed.

"You made a mess in my home, _zorro_. _"_ the sound of his claws drumming against the cane was ominous _._ "We're going to talk."

* * *

ANs:

So, it has been a very long hiatus. I'm sorry for just disappearing like that, didn't even answer the last reviews.

But I believe I'm back now. I thank everyone for reading and reviewing, especially the ones I haven't given a reply to. I hope it doesn't discourage you folks from giving your opinion in the future.

The character Raphaéla 'Calavera' Clawson is the idea of Magus Neon, and I thank him very much for letting me use her in this story. She will appear again. And yes, she will have a scene with a certain sloth... someday.

Our favorite fox might be all chums with Mr. Big in this story, but I just couldn't allow him to _not_ be in hot waters with some big shot gangster. :)

Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and that it was somewhat worth the long wait.


	6. Chapter 6 - The Devil's Justice

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

"Hello!" – normal speech

 _"Italic on the whole sentence."_ – thoughts

 _Italic on individual words –_ emphasis

 **The** **Devil's Justice**

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" _You are cornered deep inside gangster territory, without having warned anyone back at the Precinct, being threatened by armed thugs, and with only a professional assassin and con-artist on your side. Holy crap, Hopps!"_ her conscience screamed at her. _"Why don't you just use the rulebook as paper toilet, you care so much about it?!"_

It had not been the first time that night she gave herself an internal reprimand, and Judy doubted it would be the last. But she was still a cop, and she was damned if she would let these criminals push her.

"I'm Officer Hopps, ZPD!" she informed them firmly. Or as firmly as an upside-down, trapped and drenched rabbit could. "And I'm ordering all of you to drop those weapons or be charged with aggravated assault of a police officer."

Reactions to her order included stony looks from most of the cats, and a disgusted sound from the vulpine suspended next to her. She could almost feel him rolling his eyes.

The tiger she was now sure was the infamous 'Colmillo Rojo' took his golden eyes from Wilde and locked them on her own purple ones, acknowledging her presence for the first time since he arrived. Since that sunny morning when she had trembled before Gideon Gray, almost sixteen years ago, Judy had not allowed herself to be afraid of any mammal's gaze. And this time was no different.

Alfonso Rayas' severe glare came very, _very_ close, though.

Despite that, when he spoke his voice was a velvety purr. "Assault? Oh, but you misunderstand us, Officer _."_ he tipped his hat gallantly to the felids surrounding them. "These brave souls are here for your protection. Our little forest, it is _muy peligrosa._ Bad mammals in every shadow, they say. And now..."

Suddenly there was a faint sound of vibration coming from inside Rayas' suit. The tiger stopped speaking and calmly fished out a sleek smartphone from inside the pinstriped garment.

"Rayas here."

Judy focused, but even with him standing so close she could not make out the words coming from the speaker.

"Do it." the gangster ordered to whomever was calling. Then he just as calmly put the phone back.

He kept on as if he had never been interrupted. "And now we'll take you and your partner, somewhere safe. For statements, _sí_?" he did not specify who would be taking the statements, but that was obvious enough. "Get them down." ordered the tiger, tone now brisk. He turned his back to them and walked towards his car before she could protest further. "Bring the good officer to me; the _zorro_ takes another ride. And if either of them become too _anxious..._ calm the _coneja_ down."

Most of the gathered cats remained impassive. One jaguar, the oldest-looking mammal after Rayas (and light-furred, unlike Mr. Manchas), drew a knife and moved to cut the vines, while all those who had been aiming at Wilde now trained their guns solely on her. A couple hesitated, however, and one of them decided to voice his confusion.

" _Capo?"_ a younger lynx asked. "Shouldn't we, ah... 'calm' the fox if _he_ moves?"

The tiger did not stop to look at the questioner. "That would be pointless. Do as I say." even a few of the cats who had not questioned the order before traded some curious looks at _that_ declaration. Colmillo did stop before entering his car, looking severely back at Wilde. "Do you hear me, _zorro_? You try any jokes, and your friend might not find them very funny."

The fox sighed. "I hear you, Rayas."

The gangster only gave a skeptical grunt, eyes narrowed in warning, before going inside.

The vines holding them were swiftly cut, and the rabbit and fox promptly fell to the ground. After they had righted themselves under the thugs' threatening glares (and gun sights, in her case), the same jaguar that had cut their bonds patted down Wilde, looking for weapons, while the lynx that had spoken before frisked her.

She tensed up when his paws ran over her body, but the feline was quick and professional like the best of cops. He took away her zapper, her spare darts and her phone without a word. Search finished, he put his gun at her back and ordered with a clear voice.

"Move."

On her way to the larger car, still under the sights of all the available guns, she looked at Wilde and saw that he was being taken to another vehicle. He gave her a tiny nod back, and a 'keep your cool' look.

She was soon ushered inside Colmillo's black sedan. The interior was comfortable, but not luxurious. She was ordered to sit next to the tiger himself, with the lynx flanking her on the other side. She was not tied up or chained, but the smaller cat still had his submachine gun at the ready, and he never took his eyes from her. Rayas, on the other paw, acted as if she was not even there. He sat with legs crossed and paws still supported on top of his cane. His eyes were closed as if in deep thought. A cougar was their driver.

She evaluated her chances of breaking out, but decided it was too risky right then. She was sure she could handle the lynx, and she could use his gun to subdue the driver, but the old tiger gave her pause. This mammal exuded an aura of deadliness, and she remembered Wilde mentioning he was the Cartel's 'best fighter'.

" _Sharp left, uphill, smooth left, sharp right, downhill, smooth left, downhill..."_ on and on they went. She counted the car's every move, memorizing their path. She heard the sound of running water twice, felt as the car went over a short bridge, and then as they left the asphalt and entered a dirt road. When they finally stopped, she estimated the trip had taken about half an hour, and that they came all the way down to the forest floor.

The lynx opened his door, got out, and gestured with his gun for her to do the same. "Off, _coneja._ " as she did what he said, she heard Rayas' phone calling again.

She saw they had parked inside a clearing. An eerie mist filled the wide space. The trees around it were packed so tightly together, she could not see more then a few steps from the outer edge. Nor could she see the night sky through the dense canopy. But all the headlights allowed her to distinguish a large and dilapidated shack in the middle of the glade. The other cats were getting out of their cars, and it seemed Wilde's escorts were not as confident as Rayas, because the fox had his paws firmly tied. He had his usual relaxed air, not appearing in the least threatening.

At this point, she knew better.

She heard the sound of footsteps and looked up to see that Rayas had also left the car, having finished his call.

"Bring them in." he ordered, as he led the way inside the ominous building.

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"I see..."

By what most would call a personality disorder, and he called an evolutionary edge, the Chemist had a very distant relationship with most emotions. So he was not really affected by the tone in Big Sister's voice.

The Engineer, on the other hand, gulped audibly. His fury at the rabbit cop had abated enough that he could start to contemplate the enormity of their failure.

"I expected better from you. Both of you. You understand the danger this puts our Flock into?" the disappointment pouring through the phone's loudspeaker filled the van. Even Woolter, his cousin, winced from the driver's seat.

The tech-savvy ram threw himself to the vehicle's floor, crying openly now.

"I'm so sorry, Sistah!" he sobbed. "I f-failed you! I-I failed my p-precious little Rackety!"

Doug shook his woolly head. What a pathetic sight.

"There, there, my dear. Shh..." the ewe's voice changed from frustrated leader to comforting mother instantly. Not even the Chemist could tell if it was genuine, or just an act.

Though if he was a gambling mammal (he was not), he would bet on the later.

"It will be fine, it will be fine." the soothing voice continued. "Big Sister will think of something."

She kept repeating empty platitudes, and the Engineer slowly regained control. Now he was only sniffing, but a few tears still fell from below his red goggles and tracked down over his wool.

"Promise?"

"Promise." the ewe reassured. "But I need you to try harder next time, okay dear? Can you do that for me?"

"Yes, Sistah! I won't ever fail again!"

"Good boy."

"And I'll..."

"Big Sister." Doug decided it was time to interrupt, before his fellow ram got in a roll like the drama queen he was. "We need to know who that fox is. The way he fought the jaguar was not natural, that was more than simple skill."

Her voice became serious again. "It just had to be an wretched _fox_ , didn't it? I'll take the matter to our benefactor. Engineer, send me the footage you recorded."

"Righty, Sistah." and he started to type into his wrist computer.

"In the meantime, continue with your routine assignments. I'll call when I need you."

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The inside of the shack resembled a small abandoned barn. It was almost completely empty, with the exception of the row of piled-up furniture along the back wall. In the middle, right below the harsh light of the shack's single lamp, were two heavy metallic chairs side-by-side. Opposite them, on the edge of the lamp's circle, was another chair; bigger and much more comfortable-looking.

In short order, rabbit and fox were put on the seats made for mammals much larger than them. Judy's arms were bound now, while Wilde, on Rayas' orders, had both his paws _and_ his feet tied to the chair. As soon as they were secured, all the cats except for the old tiger retreated to one side of the building. A couple had stayed outside the shack. With the doors now closed and barred, she could no longer see more than a few steps beyond the circle of light, so the thugs were hidden in the darkness.

But Judy could still hear their soft breathing.

"Co'mon, Mr. Rayas! You know I'm going to behave. Is this really necessary?" the fox whined in good-humor as he tugged at his thick ropes.

The gangster captain did not seem to find it funny. Without hurry, he propped his cane beside the larger chair, then took off his hat and the top of his suit, draping them both on the back of the seat. His shirt and vest had no sleeves, and this revealed lean but very well-defined orange-furred arms. The right one had a large scar that went from the elbow almost to the tip of a finger. The left one had a set of three other deep scars, not that much smaller than the first, and what Judy was sure was a mark from an old gunshot wound.

This was no desk mammal.

"I did not survive more than fifty years of this life by underestimating enemies, _zorro_." he told them calmly, as he made himself comfortable. With legs crossed and paws held together over his lap, he started their interrogation. "When Raphaéla called me earlier, I had a feeling you'd give me trouble. You always do. Well, I was wrong. This isn't trouble, it is _un desastre_."

"Mr. Rayas, we were the victims there. We..."

The tiger made a sharp gesture that shut the fox right up. "You think I care about your miserable pelts?" he whispered dangerously. "All I care is that Desperado's blood has fallen on the leaves tonight, and such an offense _will_ have an answer. Who will be doing the answering is what we're going to determine." he relaxed again. "Now the two of you are going to tell me everything _._ What business you had with the _jaguar_ , what led to my watcher's death, and what happened afterwards. _Everything_. And if I suspect you're lying to me like the _zorro_ you are..." he let the threat linger in the stale air.

"So you're saying _you_ wasn't the one that tried to kill us?" Judy asked, voice full of sarcasm.

El Colmillo just gave her a raised eyebrow. "The driver was under our protection. So were you two, the moment I allowed your free passage inside this forest, and that is not something we take lightly. We would not attack without provocation."

"How am I supposed to believe that?"

"I don't see how you have any choice, _policía_. Now, start talking."

While the rabbit bristled, her fox companion let out a resigned sigh. He shot Judy a pointed look that she was too riled up to interpret this time, then turned back to the gangster and opened his mouth.

But she was having none of that.

"That is police matter, and you're not entitled to it." she told the tiger with finality. Wilde rolled his eyes again, and she suspected that he would have put a paw to his face if he could. She just gave him a dirty look. "We did not attack your watcher, even though he had us under threat with a lethal weapon. A very _illegal weapon,_ mind you _._ Everything else in under investigation, and I assure you that the ZPD will do everything in its power to see the guilty parties brought to justice."

Alfonso Rayas slowly turned his body to her, scrutinizing the bunny with his cold eyes. His voice was once again that deadly purr from before. "You still seem to be under the illusion that badge on your vest gives you any power here, _chiquita_. Well, let me clarify it for you: you're not in Zootopia anymore. You are in _my_ forest, and _I_ am the Law beneath these trees." he inclined his body forward, and his presence seemed to fill the shack. "But you seem much too stubborn for such a small thing, so perhaps a little... _motivation_ will give you a clearer picture, _sí_?"

A little unnerved, but never showing it, she went to retort. But this time it was the fox's turn to interrupt.

"Rayas..." he began very quietly, ears flattened and eyes shadowed, and the small fox suddenly seemed every bit as large as the tiger. "You touch one strand of fur from that bunny, and I promise you there will be more than just one dead cat tonight. Let's not play this game, please."

The gangster looked back to the fox, unconcerned. "Oh, but I _love_ playing games, _zorro_. So let us conjecture, _sí?_ " he raised one paw, palm open as if holding an invisible weight. "I could rough up your little friend a bit, perhaps remove those _adorable_ front teeth of hers, or one of those big fluffy ears... she has one to spare." the fox twitched, the muscles on his maw working themselves silently. Judy did her best to quench the icy spike in her gut at the words. "And you just stay there like a good little kit until she tells me what I want to hear. Or..." he raised his other paw in the same way. "Perhaps you break out of that chair, kill some of my soldiers and make yet _another_ mess for your old Boss to answer for. But the moment you try, those gentlemammals will start shooting; not at you, but at your _coneja;_ and we both know at least one of those bullets will find its way. You might live, you might not, but she will be dead regardless."

He joined his paws in front of his face, a cold little smile on his muzzle. "You're good _,_ but you're not _that_ good. I thought you'd learned that lesson seven years ago?" he tilted his head in curiosity, calm eyes fixed on Wilde's fierce green ones. After a few moments when the fox remained silent, the old tiger sighed. "You haven't changed a bit, have you _cabrón_?" Rayas let his dislike for the fox come clear now. "You might have walked away from your past like a little coward, but deep down you still think you're some sort of unsung hero, don't you? A mighty _vengador_ come to punish the wicked, bringing 'justice' to those that had none." he snorted in disgust. "Well, I've told you this once, _zorro_ , and I'll tell you again; you're a spoiled child, that's what you are! And like any spoiled child, you thought you could play in the world of adults. You thought you could pretend to follow our rules while you had your little crusades. You thought you could deal in blood, and still keep your paws clean. And when you finally found that you couldn't; that _no one_ can; did you mammal-up and take responsibility? Did you?! No! You _ran away_ , that's what you did." he finished in a hiss, sharp fangs bared at the fox.

Despite the terrible situation they were in, Judy could not help but listen carefully to the byplay between the two Predators. She had not believed Wilde when he told her he only 'Hunted' other criminals. How could she? Yet here was this crime boss, a real crime boss who had no qualms about little things like torture, claiming that the fox had only been _pretending_ to be a gangster. Even now, the only thing that was seemingly keeping him in place was the danger to _her_ life. And she was the cop who told him with every word that she was going to see him behind bars!

Though being dismissed as the lesser threat, as a bargain chip to keep Wilde in check, _did_ sting her pride big time.

While her mind churned, the tiger once again relaxed against his chair. His rant seemed to take away the edge of his pent-up displeasure, and he had recovered his chill neutrality.

"You have abilities like none I've ever seen, skills I never thought possible for any mammal to possess. But power is nothing without conviction, _zorro_ , and yours is weak as a shallow root. You are a disgrace to all true Hunters."

Wilde's usual lazy voice now had an undercurrent of coldness, too. "A 'true Hunter' would've left your granddaughter to burn inside that wreck." he pointed out.

El Colmillo just nodded. "And they would be right to do so." he shrugged. "I would've killed them myself if I knew, of course, but that doesn't change it that only fools stick their necks out for strangers." he pointed an imperious finger at them, eyes flashing sagely. "Home, trade and kin! Those are the only things worth protecting, and you protect them _no importa el precio_. Everything else, _everyone_ else, is expendable." the tiger gestured vaguely to the doors of the shack. "Which brings us as back to the matter of my dead watcher. So, are you going to start talking... or will we need to get some tools?"

Fox and rabbit traded looks. Wilde's eyes were still guarded, and she could not even begin to guess at the emotions running beneath them. But this time the message was clear.

" _We have no choice, bunny."_

She evaluated their options for what felt like the hundredth time, and still the answer was the same; they were at the mercy of these thugs. Put a good zapper in her paw, enough ammo and some decent cover, and Judy could take on all odds. As long as her opponents were not savage jaguars with unlimited endurance or bullet-dodging foxes, of course.

But she had no stunner. Instead, she had a dozen firearms pointed right at her by enemies she could barely see. She had no cover. Instead, she was tied up to a heavy chair. These cats did not give a penny about her status in law enforcement, just like Wilde had said back at Mr. Big's, and she had no doubt that 'El Colmillo Rojo' would make true on his threats. The part of her that rallied at any challenge, the part that allowed her to become the first bunny cop, wanted to see him try. She felt bile rising to her throat by the mere thought of giving up.

But in the end, would defiance be worth it? They knew so little about what was going on. Even if he was involved, would telling the tiger change anything?

To most mammals, it would be a no-brainer. Ridiculous to even ponder, really. But to Judy... never compromising on her ideals had been the core of her life for so long, that she felt this was a road she could never go back from.

The soft voice of the red fox pierced her troubled thoughts. "I'll talk, Hopps." she looked at Wilde, and received an understanding nod. "I know just about everything, anyway. You're in no position to stop me, so no skin off your teeth." and the bunny now understood this had been his intention in the first place, before she interrupted him. He wanted to give her a literal cop out.

He would likely do it regardless of her wishes, which made her angry. But it also reinforced how much this supposedly heartless killer was still doing to try and keep her safe. It mellowed a great deal of her anger, and also reminded the bunny that it was not just her life at stake here.

It would be so easy to take him up on that offer, but it would only be guilt by omission. And Judy Hopps did not do easy.

"The ZPD has been getting many reports of missing mammals in the last month." she began, voice like an ice block. Wilde sighed in acceptance of her stubbornness. "More than usual, and with an apparent connection between them."

There, that was all public knowledge. Safe.

The tiger nodded, resting his head on a closed fist. "All Predators, I heard. And is that the only link, _coneja_?"

Judy's tied paws clenched behind her back. She took a deep breath. "That we know off."

A tense moment while the felid's eyes pierced her. Then another nod. "Go on."

"I was assigned to one of the cases. My investigations led me to Mr. Manchas, the jaguar who was sheltering inside your canopy. We found that he had been involved in an altercation with the victim, that he had been hurt, and came here to question him about the incident." she took another breath and was ready to describe the following events, but a raised paw from Rayas stopped her.

"Not good enough." he shook his head. "Who is the mammal you're looking for, and where did you pick up this stray." he waved a condescending paw at the fox.

She had feared that first question, but her answer had been chosen from the start. "I can't tell the identity of the case's subject. They are a Predator, and they are missing. That's all you need to know." she raised her chin.

The tiger instantly went back to a dangerous mood. He got up from his chair and slowly stalked to her. "You don't get to decide that." his voice was deadly.

Wilde's ears perked up, eyes fully open. "Wait..." he started.

"Shut it, fox!" she yelled at him.

"Yes, _cállate_!" Rayas snarled in agreement, never taking his harsh stare from the bunny. "I want to hear this from the _coneja_."

"You already did."

Soon he was looming over the bunny, completely covering her in his large shadow, golden eyes narrowed to slits. "I can still rip your pretty ears off." he hovered his paw over one of said appendages, the tip of his extended claws almost grazing her fur.

Something primal in the back of her brain screamed at her to coil up, to make herself as small as possible before this dangerous Predator. She told it to shut the hell up. "You can break every bone in my body, _sir."_ she spat the honorific. "That's all you're getting. I'll be dead before I allow a thug, no matter how well-dressed, to hurt a citizen." her purple eyes were stone-hard.

Their staring contest went on for seconds, and would probably extend further if Wilde's sigh did not interrupt them. "Ugh... you realize you're dragging my ass into this too, right?"

She glanced at him. He had a slight smile on his snout and sat perfectly relaxed. But his green gaze was locked onto Rayas' hovering paw, and she remembered his words from earlier. One more sign of protectiveness that made her feel guilty for snapping at him. "I'm sorry, Wilde. But I just can't endanger a possible victim."

The fox shrugged, but his eyes never wavered. "Yeah, I get you."

The tiger looked from one small mammal to the other for some of the longest moments of her life. The gloomy air of the forest shack was heavy with the promise of violence. She felt it from Rayas, from Wilde, from the other cats hiding in the shadows and even, she was a little surprised to realize, from herself. It felt as if they were all surrounded by black powder, and the slightest spark would set the clearing ablaze.

And then Rayas suddenly grunted, retracted his claws, and went back to his chair. "You see, _zorro_?" he pointed at Judy. "Conviction! Though I do wonder how long it would last..." he let the statement hang in the air for a while, before continuing. "But it's irrelevant _._ I already know you speak about the florist _nutria_ , the one who went feral." at Judy's shocked look, he gave a felid smirk. "You think I would allow the driver to hide in my forest without knowing exactly why? _Por favor."_

" _He was_ testing _me? Testing us?!"_ the bunny asked herself, noting the satisfied air around the tiger. _"Or just playing with his prey?"_ she thought darkly.

The captain turned to Wilde. "And where do _you_ come in?"

Wilde shrugged again, his own subtle aura of threat gone. "Saw the otter on the day he puffed out. Fluff here," he inclined his head to her, "came asking about him. I pointed out where he went, then thought it would be fun to stick around." he finished lazily.

Judy's ears twitched, remembering the pains she had to go through in order to rope the fox into helping her. And yet... it was undeniable that, after the initial resistance, Wilde had aided her without complaint and FAR beyond what was required. Had it all really been just for 'fun'?

"Humpf. Helping _la policía_ , bringing them into the heart of our territory, sticking your snout into business that was never yours..." the tiger shook his head. "Your kind is supposed to be smarter than that. Some would be surprised by such foolishness, _zorro,_ but I am not." he slapped the armrest. "Enough about this! Tell me how my watcher died."

So they did. With the occasional input from the fox, and feeling a little dirtier with each word, Judy told the gangster all that happened after they first rang Manchas' doorbell. She tried to be circumspect about the details, like the jaguar mentioning the so called 'Night Howlers', or about Wilde's surprising abilities. But now that it came about information he did not already know, the old tiger revealed himself a patient and shrewd interrogator. Abandoning over-the-top threats, he dissected every one of the bunny's phrases with the cold precision of a surgeon. He always knew when she was being less than forthcoming, hacking and hewing at her half-truths until she had no choice but to be thorough. More than once he guessed exactly what happened before she could even tell, like how Manchas tricked the cougar into thinking he was knocked out, or how Wilde took them both out of there when the lethal flying machine appeared. When she mentioned how she had shot the thing down using nothing but sound as her guide, his eyes flashed for just a second, and that was the only sign of surprise he ever gave.

At one time during the tale, his phone rang again. He took it, looked briefly at the screen, then put it back. Judy caught just the tiniest hint of a satisfied smile while he had checked the message.

When all had been said, Judy was mentally exhausted.

El Colmillo was pensive, eyes closed in thought. By the middle of her tale, he had grabbed his cane and began to lightly tap it against his other paw. Probably a habit of the tiger.

"This is interesting..." he finally spoke. "This machine, you have suspicions as to who was behind it?"

"Aside from you?" the bunny told him archly. "No."

"If I wanted you dead, _coneja_ , your corpses would already be buried beneath a tree." he countered, amused. "No. There was _un invasor_ in my forest, and that does not make me happy." he looked to the side, towards his enforcers. "I'm extending the lockdown to the entire forest. All borders are closed, all civilians are to stay inside their houses until further notice. I want every watcher up into the trees, and every Sweeper out on the streets. Suspect every shadow."

"Yes, _Capo_!" came the brisk reply from one of the cats. Judy suspected it was the older jaguar.

"Warn them that the enemy has access to high-grade weaponry." the tiger continued. "If they find anything, I want it captured. If that isn't possible, I want it dead." he bared his fangs briefly. "And send someone to see if there's anything left from the machine they destroyed." he gestured to the fox and bunny.

"Yes, _Capo._ " the jaguar repeated, dutifully.

Judy was impressed, and very worried, about the apparent level of organization of these thugs. They really did behave like an army. "What about Mr. Manchas?" she asked. The rabbit did not want to bring attention to the jaguar, afraid of what Rayas would do to him, but she had to ask.

The captain looked at her. "Oh, we already have the driver." he told her offhandedly.

Her ears perked right up. "What?"

"One of my mammals saw him after he left his home tree, and I ordered that he be captured." he elaborated. "It was... challenging. His madness gives him great strength, speed and senses."

It was time for the fox's ears to twitch. "You had to call Violeta, right?" he guessed. "She's the only one who could've caught him that fast."

The tiger just snorted, not bothering to answer the fox.

"Did you hurt him?!" Judy demanded to know.

She got another raised eyebrow. "You are that worried about a Predator who just tried to eat you, _coneja_?"

The bunny ignored the slightly speciesist tone. That was easy. It was harder to ignore the images of Manchas ripping open another mammal's throat as they kept flashing in her mind. "He's clearly not in control of his actions."

"Many would not think that an excuse." golden eyes narrowed. "And neither do I. The driver will die for this."

"WHAT?!" Judy shouted. This mammal could not be serious! "You can't do that!"

The old tiger snarled. "I can, and I will!" he saw her open mouth, and interrupted. "It does not matter if he's insane, _coneja_ , he killed one of my mine! Blood must be paid, for blood that was spilled!" he finished darkly.

While the bunny tried to think past the rage burning inside her, Wilde looked with half-lidded eyes at the larger mammal. "The old boar will not be happy about this, Rayas..."

"Oh, I'm sure he won't." he shrugged. "But unlike you _, zorro, Señor_ Big understands the importance of rules, and the necessity of sacrifice."

The fox had no counter for that.

"Don't you believe what we told you?!" Judy asked, and she was disgusted by the slight note of desperation in her voice. "Who was controlling that machine? Why were they watching us? Why they only attacked after Mr. Manchas was secured? There is more going on here than we know!"

Rayas tapped his cane again. "I believe you, _coneja._ Every word." he put the cane between his legs, paws resting on the top. His smile was all fangs. "Which is why I'll offer you a deal."

Judy did not like the sound of that. "What... what deal?"

"You want the _jaguar_ to live?" the tiger purred. "Find someone else to take his place."

There was silence inside the abandoned shack for long seconds.

"You cant' be serious..." the bunny finally spoke.

"A life for a life, _policía_. This is our Law. You suspect others may be behind the driver's madness, _sí_? Or at least to know the cause? Well..." he looked straight into her eyes. "Then find them." he looked at Wilde's. "Hunt them down." he relaxed on his seat, resting the cane above his lap. "And bring them to me."

Her ears were buzzing. She shook her head. "I'm a cop. I bring suspects to Court. I don't give them to other criminals so they can be executed."

"We will even help you." the tiger spoke, as if he had not heard. "My watchers are looking for our mysterious visitors. If they find any clues, I'll forward them to you." he tilted his head, pondering. "I'll also look into these 'Night Howlers'... and I'll have a medical expert examine the driver."

"I... can't... do... that." the rabbit bit out the words.

"Then, the driver dies." he shrugged. "As things stand... it might be a mercy."

While Judy tried to come up with an idea and only produced blanks, Wilde spoke up.

"You worry about these Predators going savage, Rayas." he stated. He was not using his con-fox voice. This was the Hunter speaking. "You wouldn't let us go so easily otherwise."

The old cat got up from his seat. He calmly put back his suit's top and took up his hat. He came to stand beneath the bright lamp, looking down at them.

"Home, trade, and kin, _zorro_." he looked to Judy. "This is the deal _._ You don't think the _jaguar_ deserves to die?" he put the blood red hat back over his ears, his eyes glowing in its shadow. "Then bring me a mammal who does."

 **.**

 **0000000**

 **.**

 _Do you have a plan to resolve this setback, Sister?_

Not for the first time, she wondered why their secret helper never communicated with anything but text messages. She was fine with him or her wanting to keep their identity a secret, they had proved their goodwill to the Flock many times already, but why not simply use a voice changer?

It was as easy as downloading an app, after all.

Dismissing the thought, she wrote her answer. With a little difficulty, as she had to maneuver the many report sheets in her arms.

 _I have an idea to deal with Officer Hopps. But we'll need information on this fox she's partnered with before we can move forward._

A rabbit and a fox. What was their world coming to?

She sent the message, and then also forwarded the footage the Engineer had recorded. One of her coworkers, a golden jackal, nodded and waved at her from the other side of the hall. She gave him a sweet smile.

The filthy Predator.

It took a long time for their benefactor to respond. Much longer than the length of the recording she included. Which was strange, as they were always so quick that it almost seemed as if they knew her questions and requests beforepaw.

When it finally came, the message made her blink and almost drop the files she was carrying.

 _Deal with the rabbit. Leave the fox to us._

She gaped, she could not help it. This secretive mammal had been assisting the Flock for years, but he or she had _never_ offered such direct help.

So why now?

 **.**

 **0000000**

 **.**

"One last thing, _zorro_." the old tiger said in an idle voice.

The fox sighed. "Yes, Rayas?"

" _Stay out of my forest!"_ he snarled. Then Colmillo nodded to the two cats flanking him, turned on his heels, and stalked back to his car. Soon, the bunny and fox were left alone.

The gangster captain had been kind enough to drive them back up to the top of the forest. They were now on the wooden platform of one of Rainforest District's many automatic gondola stations, outside of the Desperado's neck of the woods. This one was a small thing, more appropriate for scenic trips than actual transportation, but it would take them all the way to the outskirts of Savanna Central.

Dawn was starting to peek over the canopy, and it bathed the forest in multicolored hues of light. It was a beautiful sight, but his mind was too far away to appreciate it. His bunny companion just stood there, ears down, almost listless.

Nick put a gentle paw on her shoulder. "Car's here, Carrots." he guided the unprotesting doe to the small cablecar, which was painted a cheerful green that had been dulled by time and wear. "In you go." they both got inside, and were on their way.

He left her propped against one side of the car and watched as the doe slid, boneless, to the floor. For a time she just stared vacantly at the brightening sky, while they slowly raised above the canopy. The fox waited.

Finally she blinked, rubbed her eyes furiously with the back of her paws, and looked at him.

"What have I agreed to, Wilde?"

He raised and eyebrow. "You _agreed_ to nothing, Carrots." he reminded her. "Rayas made his offer, you're not forced to take it."

"How can he do this?! I'm ZPD! How can he speak so casually about murdering someone to my face?"

Nick rested his back against the rail opposite the bunny, and ran a tired paw over his snout. "You know, this is my fault. I should have explained better just how powerful the Alpha gangs are. The Cartel, in particular." he looked outside. They were beginning to leave the denser part of Rainforest. He pointed a paw to the way they came. "Back there is Los Desperados' canopy."

"There's also the Hellcats' valley down in the Canyonlands, and the Dreadpaws' island on the other side of the Polar Strait." he continued. "Together, those three are the Cartel, and they are the oldest and most militaristic of all the gangs. We are talking over a _thousand_ well-trained cats here, and even more lesser thugs. The Hellcats are also among the best gunsmiths in the world, so you can add that up." he crossed his arms, looking back at her. "Carrots, when you tried to call your cop friends back there with Manchas, I knew they wouldn't come. Even if your radio had worked. The ZPD will crack down hard on any known member of the Cartel they catch outside of those territories, it's the reason why you won't see a mammal like Rayas just walking around Downtown."

He let out a breath. "But inside those areas? They can do whatever the hell they want. In the city maps, those might as well be black spaces with skulls on top _._ "

The bunny's eyes were wide. "But-but how can that be allowed to stand?"

He shrugged. " _Status quo_ , Carrots. It would take every single mammal in the ZPD, and some very big guns, to try and purge the Cartel's trenches. That would be a bloody enough affair by itself, but then they'd have to worry about all the _other_ gangs."

He could see her eyes start to brighten, as her mind began making the connections. Good, that meant she was getting out of her funk, or at least putting it to the side for now.

"So there's some kind of... tacit truce here? The ZPD doesn't crash down into their turfs, and the cats don't walk around gunning mammals down?"

The fox nodded. "Pretty much, yeah. The Cartel uses the lesser gangs under its control to do most of the footwork around the city. Keep the flow of goods going." he pointed to the retreating forest again. "While the big three focus on production, logistics, and protecting the turfs. And that, Carrots, is why Rayas can go around threatening to torture cops and kill jaguars. Inside the canopy, he's almost untouchable."

She tugged on one of her long ears. It would have been adorable if she wasn't so distressed. "Oh, gods..."

"Just let me say it again, in case you didn't hear the first time. You don't _have_ to play his game, Fluff."

"But if I don't, he'll kill Manchas!" she said, purple eyes angry.

Nick considered lying, but that would not help her. "If a better culprit doesn't present themselves... then yes, he will."

"A life for a life, wasn't it?" she shook her head, absolutely revolted. "Even if the mammal can't be blamed? What kind of evil, stupid rule is that?" grey-furred paws clenched so hard, he could hear the small claws digging into the flesh. "It's self-defeating. It only perpetuates violence."

"These are violent mammals, Carrots." he pointed out calmly. "Blood is their world, it's what they understand. The knowledge that retribution will come for them, no matter _why_ they do what they do, is the only thing that keeps a lot of them in check."

"And you believe this nonsense?!"

He stood looking at the fierce bunny for a long time. The sun was fully out now, and the morning breeze ruffled his fur. Eventually he sighed, and sat down on the floor of the gondola too. It had to be tiring for her to keep looking up.

"I used to, back with the Family." he began, then thought better on that statement. "Not to the extent that Rayas and most of the others do, no. I wouldn't kill Manchas, for starters. I only Hunted mammals I was sure deserved it. But in the end... I did believe in paying blood with blood."

She was frowning hard at him. "And now?"

"Now..." he looked at the blue sky. "Now I kinda try not to think about it. I let the gangs do their stuff, the ZPD do theirs, and try to keep out of the way."

Mostly.

"What changed?"

"...I made a promise."

She blinked, surprised. "A promise?"

"Yes, a promise. And that's all I'm saying about it. Drop it, Carrots. Please."

She opened her mouth, but then closed it with a huff. They sat in silence for a while.

Until she spoke again. "You said I don't have to play Rayas' game. What should I do, then?"

Nick had been idly fiddling with his torn sleeve. Damn, he liked the green shirt. "Oh?" he looked back to her. "Well... you could leave it to me, of course."

Bunny ears went straight up. "What?!"

"I do have some experience with this stuff, Carrots. I think I can track our mysterious friends down."

"You want me to leave my case to _you?!_ "

"I feel bad about Manchas, too." he tried to reassure her. "Not only that, but this whole mess will cast suspicions over Mr. Big among all the Alphas. Remember that both Manchas _and_ Otterton worked for him. I owe the old boar too much to just let this stand."

The bunny closed her eyes and massaged her forehead, as if staving off a migraine. Perhaps she was. "Okay. First, that's _never_ happening! Second, if it _did_ happen, what would you do with the suspects anyway?"

He straightened and looked somberly at her. "Whatever I had to do to keep the jaguar safe."

"Which is exactly why it ain't happening." she scowled at him, arms crossed.

"You know this is only going to get grimmer with every step, Fluff. You could wash your paws off this right now. Walk away from all this dark stuff." he offered honestly.

The scowl deepened. "Turning my back won't make the darkness go away." her purple orbs burned with renewed conviction. "I'll find another way."

Nick wished he had that kind of will.

He watched her for some time, all riled up and ready to challenge the world. Then he smiled, and relaxed back against the gondola's wall.

"Good." he said in a satisfied voice.

Carrots opened her mouth in surprise at his sudden shift in mood, large rabbit teeth showing up. Then, her mind clicked.

"You did that on purpose!" she pointed a finger at him.

His smile widened. "I figured the best way to get you going is to imply you can't do something, bunny." he laughed.

"So that offer was just a twisted pep-talk?"

At that, he got a little more serious. "No." he said. "If you did want to quit, I would see this through." then he smiled again. "But as the great Officer Hopps is still on the case, I'll be happy to follow her lead."

The doe closed her eyes and thumped her head against the wall. "Sweet cheese and crackers..." she sighed. After a while, she asked. "You're going to stick around whether I want it or not, won't you?"

"Yeah, afraid so. I still kinda don't wanna see you die, Carrots. And like I said, I owe it to Mr. Big."

She shook her head. "I don't know what to think about you, fox. I honestly don't." she sighed again. "Why do you say you owe Mr. Big?" by her voice, she was talking more to herself, and did not really expect an answer.

The fox went silent. In the distance, he could hear the rising sound of traffic. The earlier mammals were starting their day.

"Did you know I joined a gang when I was a teenager?" he asked her.

She opened her eyes. "Ah... yes?" she tilted her head, frowning. She must be wondering why he would tell her that.

He wondered that, himself.

"Calling it a 'gang' is a stretch. We were just a bunch of angry kids yelling at the world." his eyes went out of focus, as the fox began remembering those times. An entire life ago. "All vulpines, mostly from Savanna, but also one from the Tundra, and a vixen from Sahara. Finn was sort of an unnoficial member, too." he smiled a little when he remembered his oldest friend. "Heh! Poor guy hasn't gotten any taller since then."

Carrots just looked on curiously, and a little wary.

"Anyway." he cleared his throat. "We called ourselves the 'Foxy Foxies'. Yeah, I know, very creative. Sounds like a bad garage band. But that was the point." he shrugged. "Mammals hated us for being foxes, so we threw our species at their faces just to spite them."

"That's..." the bunny started, face softening. "Actually very brave of you."

He snorted. "More like stupid and selfish. We didn't try to show mammals the best side of foxes, Fluff. We just were not afraid of being loud. As a rule of thumb, foxes try to pretend as hard as they can that they aren't foxes. To outsiders at least. We keep our heads down, act all meek, and use guile and subterfuge to get what other species take for granted." he looked at the faded map on the back of the gondola, showing a very simplified map of the district. "The other kits kinda admired us, in secret, but the grown-ups _hated_ our pelts." he imitated an old voice. " _You brats give us a bad name._ " he scoffed. "Our name was plenty bad already. Mammals wanted bad foxes? We would give them bad foxes."

The look she was giving him, of raising empathy, made him uncomfortable. He would have preferred judgment.

"Did you join that gang because of what happened with those junior Ranger Scouts?" it was his turn to blink in surprise. She waved a helpless paw. "I mean, I know that happened years before, but I kind of think it's related."

He slowly brought his paws up and clapped three times. The doe seemed embarrassed. "Smart bunny." he praised, just a tiny bit of sarcasm seeping into his voice. "Yeah, I guess it all began there."

"What... what happened?" she asked hesitantly.

"Oldest story in the world, Fluff. If you're a fox." he answered flatly. "Näive little kit wants to be a hero. He finds a group of cool chaps, all Prey mind you, who invite him to be one of the good guys." he smiled crookedly. "Then, after the kit's mom uses money she couldn't spare to buy him a brand new uniform, he goes to his initiation only to find that the nice kids just wanted to teach the slimy Predator a lesson. They try to muzzle the kit and beat him up." the smile became feral. "What the kids didn't expect, though, is that _this_ particular fox kit knew a thing or two about playing rough."

"That's horrible!" she exclaimed, aghast. "I mean, what those kids tried to do."

"You believe me?"

Purple eyes narrowed. "The whole thing smelled fishy, even just reading your files." she scowled. "Five larger kids claiming they got mauled by a single, smaller one? You were badly hurt, too. Then a single hearing, and you get anger-management counseling while the other kids go home with pats on their backs?" she hook her head. "That conclusion just doesn't sits well with me."

The fox tilted his head, smirking lightly. "Yeah... But I got them good, all right. Mostly out of surprise." he snickered. "Little bigots were all about 'vicious Predators', and yet they expected me to just curl up and take it? Hah!" then he remembered the following years, and scowled. "I paid for it, though. Half a dozen state-sponsored 'experts' telling me how I should control my 'predatory impulses'; how I should 'put myself in the place of Preys'; how I should not succumb to my 'innate fox'." he sneered. "As if being _me_ was something to be ashamed of."

He looked away from her gaze, it was really making him uncomfortable. "I was always angry. Only my mother ever listened to me, but she couldn't do anything to help. My other relatives only berated me for not keeping my head down. For not _taking it_. The Law had failed me, the adults had failed me... I spent the rest of my kithood being as nasty as the world claimed I had been with those Scouts. I was... I was a horrible son." with effort, he swallowed to lump in his throat.

" _And that never changed, did it Wilde?"_ his conscience whispered at him.

After a moment, he regained his balance. Though his voice was a little rough. "As soon as I was old enough, I found those who thought like me. And we banded together."

It was so strange, analyzing your own childhood like that. As if it had been someone else's life.

"The files said you guys were anti-Prey..." the doe asked softly.

"We were anti- _everyone_ , Carrots. We stole, we swindled, we conned, and we gave as good as we got to everyone who tried to kick us down. Their species didn't matter."

They went silent. The gondola continued its lazy arch over the city. The morning sun cast long shadows inside it, leaving both of them in a comfortable shade. Nick felt as they arrived at the apex of their trip, and the car started to travel downwards.

"That was how you learned to fight?" the bunny asked suddenly, snapping him from his thoughts. "You guys got into a lot of scruffs, right? Often with larger mammals."

And he laughed. Damn if this bunny hadn't made him laugh more in the last two days than he had in the past month.

Her nose twitched. "What?" she asked with narrowed eyes.

"Sorry, Carrots..." he calmed down. "No, I didn't learn how to fight back then. I learned how to _brawl_." he waved a paw at her. "You had professional training. You know the difference."

That appeared to mollify her a little. She nodded. "Yeah, I do."

He nodded back. "Anyways, that came later."

Carrots brought her knees into her body, wrapping her arms around them. She looked very small, sitting like that.

"After you vanished from the records, right?"

" _Small, but no less sharp."_ he thought. He wondered if she was genuinely interested in his story, or if she was just fishing for incriminating evidence so she could prosecute him later.

Likely both.

But he had a point to make. And the nature of the memories he was sharing quickly killed his brief moment of humor.

"Yes. So, one sunny day we saw this very nice car parked in a deserted street up on Tundratown. It was the kind of car you could save your entire year's earnings, and still not be able to buy even the driver's seat."

"We also knew who this car belonged to. A mammal who earned a fortune by making sure everyone else was as poor as possible. A nasty piece of corporate greed, and just the kind of stuck-up asshole me and my buddies loved to take down a peg. So we made sure the coast was clear, and took that fancy car in one hell of a ride. We left it up in the Meadowlands, half-way inside a lake."

The bunny winced. "That couldn't have ended up well."

"No, it didn't. Turns out, the guy had 'connections'. Specifically, with Mr. Big. He found out who exactly had vandalized his property and went to the old boar. He wanted Mr. Big to teach us a lesson, a _permanent_ lesson. Mr. Big refused. Told him he would give us one hell of a scare, but nothing else." he looked fixedly at his paws. "The rich mammal didn't think that was punishment enough, so he paid off a good amount to a trio of freelancers who were, shall we say, far less picky about which jobs they took."

He heard her breath catch. "No!"

"They figured the Law would not care about a bunch of street trash, and they were right. The ZPD sure didn't do shit about it."

He avoided looking at her. He was not trying to accuse her, but his anger could not be completely hidden. He remembered the faces of Everett, Molly, Sam, Pietro, and Smalltoes. He remembered the only time he had ever seen Finn cry.

"Gang war, they said. Case closed. Just a bunch of dead-end teens who bit more than they could chew."

"Nick..."

He still did not look up. "They caught us on the suburb of Savanna. They were grown-ups with zappers and blades, we were little punks with bare claws." he flexed his paws. Open and close, open and close. "Only Finn and I survived. Two, out of seven. I... had to leave the city after that. Finn went to ground down in Sahara." open, and closed. "Finn did not have to hide for long, though. The ZPD might not have bothered with investigating," he left his paws open, "but Mr. Big did."

He hear the sound of shuffling and felt the bunny move. But ignored it.

"The old boar has very strict rules, Carrots. One of them is no harming underage mammals. Ever. When he heard about us, he immediately suspected his business partner. A partner who made him a lot of money, it should be said. A week later, those freelancers went out for a drink and never came back. Two days after that, the rich mammal was found dead. Smashed head-first into a factory wall while driving his fancy car, that he had just gotten back from the repair shop."

He only realized his paws were trembling slightly, when white and grey furred ones touched them. He looked up at last to find Carrots keeling in front of him, ears down and eyes brimming with too many emotions to identify.

"I..." she began, then stopped. She tried to speak two more times, but could not find the words. In the end, she just whispered. "I don't know what to say..."

He looked at her paws on top of his for long seconds, before taking a deep breath.

"Samara, a vixen in my old gang, used to say that 'when God won't listen, the only one you can turn to is the Devil'. I-I don't know if this kind of justice is good enough."

The fox gently extracted his paws from the bunny's.

"But it's the only kind I've ever had."

The gondola finally crossed the border of Rainforest District, passing over the crystalline waters of a wide river. The airborne dew left by the rainy night caused a rainbow to arch over the water, but neither of the small mammals saw it. No more words were spoken until they arrived at their final station.

 **.**

 **0000000**

 **.**

The black sedan crossed the high streets while the old tiger watched the trees pass by, lost in thought.

Until his _lugarteniente's_ voice brought him back to the real world. "Alfonso?"

He looked at the veteran jaguar. " _Sí?_

"Do you really trust a fox and a Prey to get to the bottom of this?" he clearly did not.

His gaze drifted back to the outside scenery. "I trust that they will try." he said with a shrug. "And of course, we'll get our own Hunters on the job."

"And if those two happen to find the culprits first." he tilted his head. "Assuming there are any to find... do you believe they'll bring them to us?"

Alfonso tapped his cane with a claw as he considered the question. However, further conversation was stopped by his phone ringing.

"Rayas here." he took the call gruffly.

" _Señor_ Colmillo." the deceptively sweet voice of the snow leopardess greeted him. "We have finished securing our hot-headed brother. Had to put enough tranquilizer inside him to knock out an elephant, but he's sleeping now."

" _Bueno._ Take him to the hideout I mentioned before, and stay close for the time being. At least until we learn how to best keep him contained."

"Naturally."

" _Gracias,_ Violeta _."_

"Wait for the bill before you thank me, _Señor_." she laughed lightly.

He did not laugh. "One other thing, treat him kindly. And if the time comes to put him down... make it quick, and make it clean."

"Oh?"

"I remember young Renato." he answered simply. "Never had much of a spine, that one, and he might have chosen to work for the _musaraña_... but he's still kin."

There was a moment of silence. When she spoke next, Violeta's voice was softer and more sincere.

"Understood, _Señor_ Colmillo."

* * *

ANs:

So... one month is better than four, right? Right.

I'm not completely happy about this one. Much like Chapter 4, it feels like too much talk and too little story. But give me your thoughts, please.

Huge thanks to MetalFox2013, Magus Neon, Combat Engineer, car213, Julian The Dreamer, Number 66, Cressi13, Niori, and Cerberusx for their reviews. You guys (and gals) let me know I'm on the right track.

And thanks to all the readers. I hope to see you next time.


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